yammer

/ˈjæm.ə/

//ˈjæm.ə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“yammer” is uncommon English (frequency #91,159 among 2,763 “Y” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,159
frequency rank, English
2,763
“Y” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To complain peevishly.

Key facts for yammer
PropertyValue
Headwordyammer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈjæm.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#91,159
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “yammer” 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). yammer 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

yammer is uncommon English at frequency #91,159 among 2,763 “Y” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈjæm.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for yammer in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, sad”), fro… The correct English form is yammer, spelled Y-A-M-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To complain peevishly.
  2. 2
    To talk loudly and persistently.
  3. 3
    To repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint.
  4. 4
    To make an outcry; to clamor.
  5. 5
    to repeatedly call someone's name.

Etymology

From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *yem- (“to hold, match, defeat”). Reinforced by cognate Middle Dutch jammeren (modern Dutch jammeren), from the same ultimate origin. Cognate also with Scots yammer, Saterland Frisian jammerje, West Frisian jammerje, German Low German jammern, German jammern, Danish jamre, Norwegian jamre. Compare also Old Norse amra (“to howl, wail, yammer”).

Synonyms

whinegrumbleprattlebabbleyak

This word in other languages

jammern(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 "yammer"?
"yammer" is spelled Y-A-M-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjæm.ə/.
What does "yammer" mean?
As a verb, "yammer" means: To complain peevishly.
How do you pronounce "yammer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "yammer" is /ˈjæm.ə/. 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 "yammer"?
From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, ... 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 “yammer”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Y-A-M-M-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈjæm.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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