jester

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/

//ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə// noun

"jester" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jester” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,465 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#30,465
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who jests, jokes or teases.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

jester vs Jeter
67% similar
jester vs jest
67% similar
jester vs Jesse
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for jester
PropertyValue
Headwordjester
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#30,465
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jester” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). jester lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for jester is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,465 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for jester, with forms such as "ejster", "jesetr", and "jesster". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Jeter", "jest", "Jesse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gestour; equivalent to jest + -er. The correct English form is jester, spelled J-E-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who jests, jokes or teases.
  2. 2
    A person in colourful garb and fool's cap who amused a medieval and early modern royal or noble court.
  3. 3
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Southeast Asian genus Symbrenthia.

Etymology

From Middle English gestour; equivalent to jest + -er.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ejster,jesetr,jesster,jesterr,jestre,jestter,jetser,jjester,jseter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of jester - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ejster2jesetr2jesster1jesterr1jestre2jestter1jetser2jjester1
Edit distance from "jester"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "jester"?
"jester" is spelled J-E-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/.
What does "jester" mean?
As a noun, "jester" means: One who jests, jokes or teases.
What words are commonly confused with "jester"?
"jester" is commonly confused with "Jeter", "jest", "Jesse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "jester"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jester" is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "jester"?
From Middle English gestour; equivalent to jest + -er. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “jester”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is J-E-S-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Jeter” - see the side-by-side comparison. jester vs Jeter
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list