jambalaya

[xãmbaˈlaʝa]

/[xãmbaˈlaʝa]/ noun

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

The verdict

“jambalaya” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Especie de paella, donde los principales ingredientes son, además del arroz: pollo, jamón crudo, langostinos y mucha pimienta.

Key facts for jambalaya
PropertyValue
Headwordjambalaya
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[xãmbaˈlaʝa]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jambalaya” sits in Spanish frequency

jambalaya falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

jambalaya is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [xãmbaˈlaʝa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Especie de paella, donde los principales ingredientes son, además del arroz: pollo, jamón crudo, langostinos y mucha pimienta.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for jambalaya, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. 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.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is jambalaya, spelled J-A-M-B-A-L-A-Y-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Especie de paella, donde los principales ingredientes son, además del arroz: pollo, jamón crudo, langostinos y mucha pimienta.

This word in other languages

jambalaya(English)jambalaya(Français)

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 "jambalaya"?
"jambalaya" is spelled J-A-M-B-A-L-A-Y-A. The IPA pronunciation is [xãmbaˈlaʝa].
What does "jambalaya" mean?
As a noun, "jambalaya" means: Especie de paella, donde los principales ingredientes son, además del arroz: pollo, jamón crudo, langostinos y mucha pimienta.
How do you pronounce "jambalaya"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jambalaya" is [xãmbaˈlaʝa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "jambalaya" come from?
"jambalaya" is a Spanish 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.

Using “jambalaya”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is J-A-M-B-A-L-A-Y-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [xãmbaˈlaʝa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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