A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Gist vs. jist
- Jam vs. jambJamb: a post that forms the side of a door or window. Jam: 1. a preserve made from boiled and sugared fruit, 2. a congestion, 3. a difficult situation, and 4. a song that one holds to be especially moving or meaningful.
- Je ne sais quoian intangible, distinctive quality, especially of a person, that can't be put in words.
- Jejune1. dull or uninteresting; 2. childish; 3. meager or lacking nutrition.
- Jeremiad: a literary work or speech expressing bitter lament, prophecies of doom, or mournful complaints about society.
- Jewelry vs. jewelleryJewelry in the U.S. and usually in Canada; jewellery everywhere else.
- Judgment vs. judgementJudgement is considered a misspelling in the U.S. The two spellings are now interchangeable in British English.
- Judicial vs. judiciousJudicial = of or relating to justice. Judicious = showing good judgment.
- Junction vs. junctureJunction: 1. a place where two things join or meet, or 2. the act of joining or meeting. Juncture: a point in time, especially one made critical by a confluence of circumstances.
- Junkie vs. junkyJunkie: 1. someone who is addicted to narcotics; 2. one who has an insatiable interest in something. Junky: 1. worthy of being discarded; 2. meaningless or unbelievable.
- Jury-rig, jerry-rig, jerry-builtJury-rig: to assemble for temporary use. Jerry-rig: variant of jury-rig. Jerry-built: built of poor-quality materials.
- Just deserts vs. just dessertsJust deserts is the original. Just desserts is more common in the 21st century.
- Kafkaesque1. marked by surreal distortion or a sense of impending danger; 2. of or relating to a nightmarish world where people are dehumanized by intricate bureaucratic systems.
- Kaputdead, finished, or useless.
- Ketchup, catsup, catchupKetchup is now the usual spelling.
- KiboshTo put a kibosh on something is to put an end to it.
- Kick off vs. kickoff (vs. kick-off)Kickoff/kick-off is a noun and an adjective. The verb is two words.
- Kick the can down the roadto defer conclusive action with a short-term solution.
- Kludge
- Klutza foolishly clumsy person.
- Knave vs nave
- Knee-high to a grasshopper
- Knee-jerk, kneejerkreflexive, unthinking, or automatic.
- Knit vs. knittedThe uninflected form is traditional, but knitted is now at least as common.
- Knock up
- Kowtow1. to bow in submission, worship, or respect; 2. to show servile deference.
- Kudospraise or renown.