# jazz

> English word · Noun · IPA /d͡ʒæz/ · frequency rank #4,244

## Definitions
1. A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time, commonly characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms and improvisation.
2. Energy, excitement, excitability.
3. The substance or makeup of a thing; unspecified thing(s).
4. Something of excellent quality, the genuine article.
5. Nonsense.
6. Semen, jizz.
7. A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

## Etymology
Unknown. First attested around 1912 in a discussion of baseball; attested in reference to music around 1915. Numerous references suggest that the term may be connected to jasm and jism.

## Easily confused with
- **jizz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jazz-vs-jizz)
- **jazzy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jazz-vs-jazzy)
- **JA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ja-vs-jazz)
- **Jan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jan-vs-jazz)
- **jay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jay-vs-jazz)
- **jam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jam-vs-jazz)
- **jaw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jaw-vs-jazz)
- **jar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jar-vs-jazz)
- **Jai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jai-vs-jazz)
- **jab** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jab-vs-jazz)
- **Jax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jax-vs-jazz)
- **jag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jag-vs-jazz)
- **Jap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jap-vs-jazz)
- **Jas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jas-vs-jazz)
- **Jah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jah-vs-jazz)
- **jack** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jack-vs-jazz)
- **jail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jail-vs-jazz)
- **Jane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jane-vs-jazz)
- **jake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jake-vs-jazz)
- **Java** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/java-vs-jazz)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ajzz`, `jaz`, `jjazz`, `jzaz`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/jazz