logjam

noun

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

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

The verdict

“logjam” is uncommon English (frequency #87,499 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,499
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.

Corpus desk

Index EN-logjam · logjam · English

logjam · rank #87,499 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,499
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH loge

Nearest frequency peer: loge (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “logjam”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “logjam” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for logjam
PropertyValue
Headwordlogjam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters6
Frequency rank#87,499
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “logjam” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).logjamfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “loge” (#87,498), “Loder” (#87,497), “loadout” (#87,496). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “logjam” is #87,499. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

logjam is uncommon English at frequency #87,499 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for logjam in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From log + jam. The correct English form is logjam, spelled L-O-G-J-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.
  2. 2
    A clog or such jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Efforts to amend the law got sidetracked in an administrative logjam.
  2. Mr. Clinton can break the logjam by first convincing the public that he is willing to start with small but meaningful victories.

Etymology

From log + jam.

This word in other languages

bloqueo(Español)bourrage(Français)Blockade(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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "logjam"?
"logjam" is spelled L-O-G-J-A-M.
What does "logjam" mean?
As a noun, "logjam" means: An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.
What is the origin of the word "logjam"?
From log + jam. 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 "logjam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Liotta#87,492Lettie#87,485Lapham#87,478mangas#87,524

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list