jaywalk
/ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk/verb
jaywalk is spelled J-A-Y-W-A-L-K: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 131,834th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, jaywalk means “To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the part of…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in jaywalk?
| Letters | 7: J-A-Y-W-A-L-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 19 million words; the 131,834th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is jaywalk?
Jaywalk appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 131,834th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce jaywalk?
- UK /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk/
- /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk/
- /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɑːk/
Jaywalk has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-jaywalk.ogg, En-au-jaywalk.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of jaywalk
- jaywalks present, singular, he/she/it
- jaywalking participle, present
- jaywalked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jaywalk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
USTo behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the part of the street intended for vehicles rather than on the sidewalk.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jaywalk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense violate pedestrian traffic regulations:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | traverser en dehors des clous |
| Portuguese | atravessar no meio da rua |
| Spanish | cruzar la calle sin prudencia, cruzar la rúa impudentemente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does jaywalk come from?
Back-formation from jaywalker. Analyzable as jay (“a stupid person”) + walk.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).