jet lag

noun

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

The verdict

“jet lag” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A physical condition caused by crossing time zones during flight; often the result of disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.

Key facts for jet lag
PropertyValue
Headwordjet lag
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jet lag” sits in English frequency

jet lag falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

jet lag is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A physical condition caused by crossing time zones during flight; often the result of disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.".

No misspelling variants are generated for jet lag in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly coined by Horace Sutton in 1966. The correct English form is jet lag, spelled J-E-T- -L-A-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A physical condition caused by crossing time zones during flight; often the result of disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.

Etymology

Possibly coined by Horace Sutton in 1966.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "jet lag"?
"jet lag" is spelled J-E-T- -L-A-G.
What does "jet lag" mean?
As a noun, "jet lag" means: A physical condition caused by crossing time zones during flight; often the result of disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.
What is the origin of the word "jet lag"?
Possibly coined by Horace Sutton in 1966. 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 “jet lag”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is J-E-T- -L-A-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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