jujitsu

/ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/

//ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“jujitsu” is uncommon English (frequency #71,614 among 4,872 “J” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,614
frequency rank, English
4,872
“J” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly opposing it with force, and using a wide v...

Corpus desk

Index EN-jujitsu · jujitsu · English

jujitsu · rank #71,614 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #71,614
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,872
  • PHOTO-FINISH judgeship

Nearest frequency peer: judgeship (-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 neighbourhood for “jujitsu”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “jujitsu” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for jujitsu
PropertyValue
Headwordjujitsu
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/
Letters7
Frequency rank#71,614
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jujitsu” 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). jujitsu lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

jujitsu is uncommon English at frequency #71,614 among 4,872 “J” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for jujitsu in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling jitsu (instead of less popular jiutsu or jutsu) could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mentioned in The Japan Mail (1875, page 133), before the widespread use of th… The correct English form is jujitsu, spelled J-U-J-I-T-S-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly opposing it with force, and using a wide variety of holds, throws, and defensive techniques.
  2. 2
    Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a related art, derived from judo.
  3. 3
    Strategic maneuvering, especially with the aim of using the strength of one's opponent against them in an unexpected or counterintuitive way.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The far-right glitterati were not impressed with Trump’s Epstein jiu-jitsu.

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling jitsu (instead of less popular jiutsu or jutsu) could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mentioned in The Japan Mail (1875, page 133), before the widespread use of the Hepburn system.

This word in other languages

jujitsu(Français)Jiu-Jitsu(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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "jujitsu"?
"jujitsu" is spelled J-U-J-I-T-S-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/.
What does "jujitsu" mean?
As a noun, "jujitsu" means: A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly opposing it with force, and using a wide v...
How do you pronounce "jujitsu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jujitsu" is /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/. 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 "jujitsu"?
Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling jitsu (instead of less popular jiutsu or jutsu) could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mentioned in The Japan Mail (1875, page 133), before the widespread... 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 "jujitsu", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

isoform#71,602keyring#71,629Kristof#71,639Laconia#71,643
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