journey

/ˈd͡ʒɝni/

//ˈd͡ʒɝni// noun

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

"journey" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“journey” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,256 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,256
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

journey vs journeys
88% similar
journey vs journal
71% similar

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

Key facts for journey
PropertyValue
Headwordjourney
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɝni/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,256
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “journey” 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). journey 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 journey is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɝni/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,256 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for journey, with forms such as "jjourney", "joruney", and "jounrey". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "journeys", "journal", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru. The correct English form is journey, spelled J-O-U-R-N-E-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
  2. 2
    Any process or progression likened to a journey, especially one that involves difficulties or personal development.
  3. 3
    The progress of a customer through a system, often a computer system.
  4. 4
    A day.
  5. 5
    A day's travelling; the distance travelled in a day.
  6. 6
    A day's work.
  7. 7
    The weight of finished coins delivered at one time to the Master of the Mint.
  8. 8
    A group of giraffes.

Etymology

From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru.

Synonyms

farejourneysithtrip

This word in other languages

viaje(Español)voyage(Français)Reise(Deutsch)jornada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jjourney,joruney,jounrey,joureny,journeyy,journney,journye,jourrney,juorney,ojurney

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

jjourney1joruney2jounrey2joureny2journeyy1journney1journye2jourrney1
Edit distance from "journey"

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 "journey"?
"journey" is spelled J-O-U-R-N-E-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɝni/.
What does "journey" mean?
As a noun, "journey" means: A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
What words are commonly confused with "journey"?
"journey" is commonly confused with "journeys", "journal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "journey"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "journey" is /ˈd͡ʒɝni/. 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 "journey"?
From Middle English journe, from Old French jornee, from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus, from diēs (“day”). Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru. 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 “journey”

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

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