jitterbug

/ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/

//ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ// noun

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

"jitterbug" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jitterbug” is uncommon English (frequency #87,424 among 796 “J” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,424
frequency rank, English
796
“J” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A nervous or jittery person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-jitterbug · jitterbug · English

jitterbug · rank #87,424 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,424
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 796
  • PHOTO-FINISH jinja

Nearest frequency peer: jinja (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “jitterbug”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “jitterbug” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for jitterbug
PropertyValue
Headwordjitterbug
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#87,424
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “jitterbug” in English

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).jitterbugfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “jinja” (#87,422), “jowl” (#87,426), “jetliner” (#87,421). Among 796 “J” headwords, “jitterbug” is #87,424. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

jitterbug is uncommon English at frequency #87,424 among 796 “J” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for jitterbug, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From jitter + bug, after the 1934 Cab Calloway song “Jitter Bug”. The correct English form is jitterbug, spelled J-I-T-T-E-R-B-U-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A nervous or jittery person.
  2. 2
    A jazz musician or aficionado.
  3. 3
    An uptempo jazz or swing dance which embellishes on the two-step pattern and frequently incorporates acrobatic style swing steps.
  4. 4
    Synonym of diddley bow (“type of stringed instrument”).

Etymology

From jitter + bug, after the 1934 Cab Calloway song “Jitter Bug”.

Synonyms

jazzbojazzmanjazzpersonbundle of nervesnervous wreckworrywartworrier

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 "jitterbug"?
"jitterbug" is spelled J-I-T-T-E-R-B-U-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/.
What does "jitterbug" mean?
As a noun, "jitterbug" means: A nervous or jittery person.
How do you pronounce "jitterbug"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jitterbug" is /ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/. 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 "jitterbug"?
From jitter + bug, after the 1934 Cab Calloway song “Jitter Bug”. 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 "jitterbug", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Jankowski#87,416Jablonski#87,412Iphigenia#87,409Landsberg#87,476

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list