Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

traffic jam

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.09 in modern English

Syllables: traf-fic -jam
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A situation in which road traffic accumulates until it is stationary or very slow.

Example Sentences

"Victorian Londoners did not speak of 'traffic jams' - that term came from America after the First World War. They spoke rather of traffic 'locks' or 'blocks', and their prevalence would be one reason why Pearson began to direct his thoughts underground."
"Driving in London next week ? Then watch out for the big traffic-jam spots – the places where you may well face a wait if you cannot go another way."

Inflected Forms

traffic jams (plural)

Phrases

phantom jam gapers' block

Frequently Paired Words

phantom jam tailback gapers' block gridlock

Synonyms

snarl-up parking lot

Questions

What does traffic jam mean?: A situation in which road traffic accumulates until it is stationary or very slow.

How to pronounce traffic jam

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “traffic jam”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “traffic jam” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.