jib

/d͡ʒɪb/

//d͡ʒɪb// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"jib" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jib” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #37,527) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#37,527
frequency rank, English
796
“J” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A triangular staysail set forward of the foremast. In a sloop (see image) the basic jib reaches back roughly to the level of the mast.

Corpus desk

Index EN-jib · jib · English

jib · rank #37,527 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,527
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 796
  • PHOTO-FINISH Jinnah

Nearest frequency peer: Jinnah (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “jib”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “jib” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

jib vs Jr
0% similar
jib vs jo
33% similar
jib vs Ju
0% similar

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

Key facts for jib
PropertyValue
Headwordjib
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d͡ʒɪb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#37,527
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “jib”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).jiblands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Jinnah” (#37,528), “jeeps” (#37,525), “jute” (#37,530). Among 796 “J” headwords, “jib” is #37,527. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for jib is neighbouring look-alikes ("Jr", "jo", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /d͡ʒɪb/. Frequency #37,527 among 796 “J” headwords. 2 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

No misspelling variants are generated for jib in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Jr", "jo", "Ju", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since the 1660s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to jib (“shift or swing around”) (see below). The correct English form is jib, spelled J-I-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A triangular staysail set forward of the foremast. In a sloop (see image) the basic jib reaches back roughly to the level of the mast.
  2. 2
    Any of a variety of specialty triangular staysails set forward of the foremast.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how jib appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Release the line by pulling down and unfurl the jib by pulling on the two jibsheets.

Etymology

Attested since the 1660s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to jib (“shift or swing around”) (see below).

This word in other languages

foque(Español)foc(Français)Fock(Deutsch)

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 "jib"?
"jib" is spelled J-I-B. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒɪb/.
What does "jib" mean?
As a noun, "jib" means: A triangular staysail set forward of the foremast. In a sloop (see image) the basic jib reaches back roughly to the level of the mast.
What words are commonly confused with "jib"?
"jib" is commonly confused with "Jr", "jo", "Ju". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "jib"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jib" is /d͡ʒɪb/. 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 "jib"?
Attested since the 1660s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to jib (“shift or swing around”) (see below). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "jib", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

KKR#37,535Iga#37,503fap#37,455OCR#37,602

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list