juke

/d͡ʒuːk/

//d͡ʒuːk// noun

"juke" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“juke” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,208 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,208
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

juke vs jun
50% similar
juke vs jus
50% similar
juke vs just
50% similar

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

Key facts for juke
PropertyValue
Headwordjuke
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d͡ʒuːk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#36,208
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “juke” 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). juke 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 juke is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒuːk/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,208 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for juke, with forms such as "jjuke", "jkue", and "juek". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "jun", "jus", "just", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)). The correct English form is juke, spelled J-U-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution.
  2. 2
    Clipping of jukebox.
  3. 3
    A genre of electronic music native to Chicago, noted for its fast, abstract rhythms; see footwork.

Etymology

From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)).

Synonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jjuke,jkue,juek,jukke,ujke

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of juke - 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.

jjuke1jkue2juek2jukke1ujke2
Edit distance from "juke"

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 "juke"?
"juke" is spelled J-U-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒuːk/.
What does "juke" mean?
As a noun, "juke" means: A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution.
What words are commonly confused with "juke"?
"juke" is commonly confused with "jun", "jus", "just". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "juke"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "juke" is /d͡ʒuːk/. 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 "juke"?
From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)). 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 “juke”

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

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