yo

/jəʊ/

//jəʊ// intj

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

"yo" is a 2-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“yo” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,346 in English word frequency and used as an interjection.

#3,346
frequency rank, English
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A greeting similar to hi.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

yo vs yu
50% similar
yo vs yr
50% similar
yo vs yt
50% similar

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

Key facts for yo
PropertyValue
Headwordyo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA/jəʊ/
Letters2
Frequency rank#3,346
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “yo” 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). yo 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 yo is 2 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /jəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,346 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for yo in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "yu", "yr", "yt", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġē… The correct English form is yo, spelled Y-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A greeting similar to hi.
  2. 2
    An interjection similar to hey.
  3. 3
    An expression of surprise or excitement.
  4. 4
    Present! Here!
  5. 5
    Emphatic conclusion to a statement.

Etymology

As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġēa (“yes, yea”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes, thus, so”); or perhaps from Old English ēow (“Wo!, Alas!”, interjection). Compare Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian jo (“yes (flexible meaning)”), Dutch jow (“hi, hey”) and Dutch jo (“hi, hey”). More at yea, ow, ew. Modern popularity apparently dates from the early 20th century in Philadelphia, PA; amongst the Italian Community there, where io, with (as opposed to in standard Italian language) the stress on the ultima, was a common salutatory response among residents, particularly young males. This usage was apparently reinforced by the aforesaid English terms. It has been claimed to have been a common response at roll calls during World War 2 (see definition 4), and then most intensely attested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; it thence spread globally from American dominance of pop culture post-WWII.

Synonyms

heyhihey

This word in other languages

oi(Português)

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 "yo"?
"yo" is spelled Y-O. The IPA pronunciation is /jəʊ/.
What does "yo" mean?
As an interjection, "yo" means: A greeting similar to hi.
What words are commonly confused with "yo"?
"yo" is commonly confused with "yu", "yr", "yt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "yo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "yo" is /jəʊ/. 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 "yo"?
As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old ... 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 “yo”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Y-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /jəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “yu” - see the side-by-side comparison. yo vs yu
  • 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