jewel
/ˈd͡ʒuːəl/noun, verb
jewel is spelled J-E-W-E-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Jewel, the name). As a noun, jewel means “A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of jewel is jewels.
How many letters and syllables are in jewel?
| Letters | 5: J-E-W-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.8 times per million words; the 11,541st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
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 jewel?
Jewel appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Jewel, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce jewel?
- UK /ˈd͡ʒuːəl/
- UK /ˈd͡ʒuːl/
- UK /ˈd͡ʒʊəl/
Jewel 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-jewel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with jewel
Sounds like: dual, duel (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of jewel
- jewels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- jeweling US, participle, present
- jewelling UK, participle, present
- jeweled US, participle, past
- jewelled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jewel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
- 2
A valuable object used for personal ornamentation, especially one made of precious metals and stones; a piece of jewellery.
- 3
Anything precious or valuable.
Galveston was the jewel of Texas prior to the hurricane.
- 4
A bearing for a pivot in a watch, formed of a crystal or precious stone.
- 5
Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Hypochrysops.
- 6
slangThe clitoris.
- 7
informalA jewel box (optical disc container).
As a collector, I prefer jewels to digipaks.
verb
- 1
To bejewel; to decorate or bedeck with jewels or gems.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jewel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Edelstein, Juwel , Schmuckstück , Kleinod , Stein |
| Portuguese | joia, gema , rubi |
| Spanish | joya, alhaja, alhaite, joyel |
| French | joyau, bijou , pierre d'horlogerie, rubis, pierre, rubi |
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 jewel come from?
From Middle English juel, jewel, juwel, jeuel, jowel, from Anglo-Norman juel, from Old French jouel, joel, joïel, hence French joyau, of uncertain origin. Perhaps based ultimately on Latin gaudium (“joy”), or on Latin iocus (“joke; jest”), or according to Pihan, from Arabic جَوْهَر (jawhar). Compare Medieval Latin jocale. Displaced native Old English māþm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).