yaws
/ˈjɔːz/
"yaws" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“yaws” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A contagious tropical disease, caused by the spirochete Treponema pertenue, characterized by yellowish or reddish tumors, which often resemble berries.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | yaws |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈjɔːz/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “yaws” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
yaws is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈjɔːz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A contagious tropical disease, caused by the spirochete Treponema pertenue, characterized by yellowish or reddish tumors, which often resemble berries.".
yaws has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain. Attested since the 1670s, perhaps from an English creole (or other language) of the Caribbean. The correct English form is yaws, spelled Y-A-W-S.
Definition
- 1A contagious tropical disease, caused by the spirochete Treponema pertenue, characterized by yellowish or reddish tumors, which often resemble berries.
Etymology
Uncertain. Attested since the 1670s, perhaps from an English creole (or other language) of the Caribbean.
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 "yaws"?
What does "yaws" mean?
How do you pronounce "yaws"?
What is the origin of the word "yaws"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “yaws”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is Y-A-W-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈjɔːz/ (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
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.