jaywalker
jay·walk·er/ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔkɚ/noun
jaywalker is spelled J-A-Y-W-A-L-K-E-R: 9 letters and 3 syllables (jay·walk·er). It appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 161,690th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, jaywalker means “A person who violates pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or who walks on the part of the street…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of jaywalker is jaywalkers.
How many letters and syllables are in jaywalker?
| Letters | 9: J-A-Y-W-A-L-K-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: jay·walk·er |
| In writing | about once in every 28 million words; the 161,690th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is jaywalker?
Jaywalker appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 161,690th 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 jaywalker?
- US /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔkɚ/
- /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɑkɚ/
- UK /ˈd͡ʒeɪwɔːkə/
Jaywalker has 3 syllables, split jay·walk·er in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-jaywalker.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of jaywalker
- jaywalkers plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jaywalker mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USA person who violates pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or who walks on the part of the street intended for vehicles instead of the part designated for pedestrians.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jaywalker in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense one who jaywalks:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | but see unachtsamer Fußgänger, unachtsame Fußgängerin, die Verkehrsregeln missachtender Fußgänger, die Verkehrsregeln missachtende Fußgängerin |
| Spanish | peatón imprudente |
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 jaywalker come from?
From jay (“a stupid person”) + walker; jay walker (“a pedestrian who doesn't pay attention to the road, endangering themselves and obstructing horses, carts, and automobiles”). First use appears c. 1917 in Harper's Magazine. Coined in analogy to the older turn-of-the-20th-century term jay driver (“a driver who doesn't pay attention to the road, endangering horses, carts, bicyclists, and pedestrians”). Promoted by driving enthusiasts and automotive concerns to clear the roads of obstructive pedestrians by making it illegal to walk in the middle of roads.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).