joint

/d͡ʒɔɪnt/

//d͡ʒɔɪnt// adj

"joint" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“joint” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,002 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,002
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - United, combined

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

joint vs Jon
40% similar
joint vs jot
60% similar
joint vs jong
60% similar

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

Key facts for joint
PropertyValue
Headwordjoint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/d͡ʒɔɪnt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,002
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “joint” 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). joint 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 joint is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒɔɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,002 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for joint, with forms such as "jiont", "jjoint", and "joinnt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Jon", "jot", "jong", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is from Middle English joynt (attested since the late 13th century), from Old French joint (“joint of the body”) (attested since the 12th century). The adjective (attested since the 15th century) is from Old French jointiz. Both Old French words ar… The correct English form is joint, spelled J-O-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    United, combined
  2. 2
    Done by two or more people or organisations working together.

Etymology

The noun is from Middle English joynt (attested since the late 13th century), from Old French joint (“joint of the body”) (attested since the 12th century). The adjective (attested since the 15th century) is from Old French jointiz. Both Old French words are from Latin iūnctus, the past participle of iungō. See also join, jugular, junction. Partially displaced English lith. The meaning of "building, establishment", especially in connection with shady activities, appeared in Anglo-Irish by 1821 and entered general American English slang by 1877, especially in the sense of "opium den". The sense "marijuana cigarette" is attested since 1935. The development to meaning "any thing" also happened to the Scots and Memphian form junt and the Mid-Atlantic/Philadelphian form jawn.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jiont,jjoint,joinnt,jointt,joitn,jonit,ojint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of joint - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

jiont2jjoint1joinnt1jointt1joitn2jonit2ojint2
Edit distance from "joint"

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 "joint"?
"joint" is spelled J-O-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒɔɪnt/.
What does "joint" mean?
As an adjective, "joint" means: United, combined
What words are commonly confused with "joint"?
"joint" is commonly confused with "Jon", "jot", "jong". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "joint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "joint" is /d͡ʒɔɪnt/. 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 "joint"?
The noun is from Middle English joynt (attested since the late 13th century), from Old French joint (“joint of the body”) (attested since the 12th century). The adjective (attested since the 15th century) is from Old French jointiz. Both Old Frenc... 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 “joint”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is J-O-I-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /d͡ʒɔɪnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Jon” - see the side-by-side comparison. joint vs Jon
  • 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