Joseph

/ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/

//ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf// name

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

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

The verdict

“Joseph” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,901 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#2,901
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Joseph vs Josh
67% similar
Joseph vs Josiah
67% similar
Joseph vs Josephus
75% similar

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

Key facts for Joseph
PropertyValue
HeadwordJoseph
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,901
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Joseph” 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). Joseph 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 Joseph is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,901 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Joseph, with forms such as "jjoseph", "joesph", and "josehp". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Josh", "Josiah", "Josephus", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Ioseph, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf, literally “(God) shall add”); a son of Jacob. Doublet of Yusuf. The correct English form is Joseph, spelled J-O-S-E-P-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel.
  2. 2
    The husband of Mary, mother of Jesus.
  3. 3
    The 12th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
  4. 4
    Joseph of Arimathea; man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus.
  5. 5
    A male given name from Hebrew.
  6. 6
    A surname:
  7. 7
    A surname:
  8. 8
    A locale in the United States:
  9. 9
    A locale in the United States:
  10. 10
    A locale in the United States:

Etymology

From Middle English Ioseph, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf, literally “(God) shall add”); a son of Jacob. Doublet of Yusuf.

This word in other languages

José(Español)Joseph(Français)Josef(Deutsch)José(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jjoseph,joesph,josehp,josephh,josepph,jospeh,josseph,jsoeph,ojseph

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Joseph - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

jjoseph1joesph2josehp2josephh1josepph1jospeh2josseph1jsoeph2
Edit distance from "Joseph"

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 "Joseph"?
"Joseph" is spelled J-O-S-E-P-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/.
What does "Joseph" mean?
As a proper noun, "Joseph" means: Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel.
What words are commonly confused with "Joseph"?
"Joseph" is commonly confused with "Josh", "Josiah", "Josephus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Joseph"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Joseph" is /ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/. 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 "Joseph"?
From Middle English Ioseph, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf, literally “(God) shall add”); a son of Jacob. Doublet of Yusuf. 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 “Joseph”

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

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