just now

/ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ/

//ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ// adv

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

The verdict

“just now” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Very close to the present moment; just a moment ago.

Corpus desk

Index EN-just-now · just now · English

just now · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "J" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for just now
PropertyValue
Headwordjust now
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “just now” in English

just nowranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

just now is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for just now, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is just now, spelled J-U-S-T- -N-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very close to the present moment; just a moment ago.
  2. 2
    At present; now.
  3. 3
    In a little while.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I was talking to my friend on the phone just now.
  2. I('ve) just now noticed that we're out of bread.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "just now"?
"just now" is spelled J-U-S-T- -N-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ/.
What does "just now" mean?
As an adverb, "just now" means: Very close to the present moment; just a moment ago.
How do you pronounce "just now"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "just now" is /ˈd͡ʒʌst ˌnæʊ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "just now" come from?
"just now" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list