jungle

/ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/

//ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l// noun

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

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

The verdict

“jungle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,893 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,893
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, that is home to many wild plants and animals; a tropical rainforest.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

jungle vs junkie
67% similar
jungle vs June
50% similar
jungle vs Jung
50% similar

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

Key facts for jungle
PropertyValue
Headwordjungle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,893
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jungle” 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). jungle 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 jungle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,893 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for jungle, with forms such as "jjungle", "jnugle", and "jugnle". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "junkie", "June", "Jung", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Hindustani جَن٘گَل (jaṅgal) / जंगल (jaṅgal), from Sanskrit जङ्गल (jaṅgala, “arid, sterile, desert”). First appears c. 1776 in a translation by Nathaniel Halhed. The correct English form is jungle, spelled J-U-N-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, that is home to many wild plants and animals; a tropical rainforest.
  2. 2
    Any uncultivated tract of forest or scrub habitat.
  3. 3
    A place where people behave ruthlessly, unconstrained by law or morality.
  4. 4
    A tangled mess.
  5. 5
    An area where hobos camp together.
  6. 6
    A style of electronic dance music and precursor of drum and bass.
  7. 7
    Dense rough.
  8. 8
    A dense mass of pubic hair.

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindustani جَن٘گَل (jaṅgal) / जंगल (jaṅgal), from Sanskrit जङ्गल (jaṅgala, “arid, sterile, desert”). First appears c. 1776 in a translation by Nathaniel Halhed.

This word in other languages

selva(Español)jungle(Français)Urwald(Deutsch)selva(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: jjungle,jnugle,jugnle,jungel,junggle,junglle,junlge,junngle,ujngle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of jungle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

jjungle1jnugle2jugnle2jungel2junggle1junglle1junlge2junngle1
Edit distance from "jungle"

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 "jungle"?
"jungle" is spelled J-U-N-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/.
What does "jungle" mean?
As a noun, "jungle" means: A large, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, that is home to many wild plants and animals; a tropical rainforest.
What words are commonly confused with "jungle"?
"jungle" is commonly confused with "junkie", "June", "Jung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "jungle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jungle" is /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/. 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 "jungle"?
Borrowed from Hindustani جَن٘گَل (jaṅgal) / जंगल (jaṅgal), from Sanskrit जङ्गल (jaṅgala, “arid, sterile, desert”). First appears c. 1776 in a translation by Nathaniel Halhed. 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 “jungle”

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

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