This page lists 12 Greek words that start with J, from “Jason” to “Jeans”. Most are English forms of Greek names and places, while a few are modern loanwords. You can use them to learn Greek spellings, read biblical names, or see how English words are written in Greek.

Greek words are the terms people use in Greek, from ancient myth to everyday speech today. Greek has no letter “J”, so words like “Jazz” and “Jeans” are written with “tz” to match the English sound.

Below you’ll find the table with the word, English translation, part of speech, example usage, and description for each entry.

Word: The English spelling of each entry, listed in alphabetical order, so you can quickly find the term you want to look up.

English translation: The meaning in English, with the Greek spelling and its pronunciation in Latin letters, so you can see how the word looks and sounds.

Part of speech: Shows whether the entry is a proper noun or a noun, which helps you understand how to use it in a sentence.

Example usage: A short Greek sentence with its pronunciation and an English translation, so you can see the word used in a real context.

Description: A brief note on where the word comes from and what it means today, giving you useful background for remembering it.

Greek words

WordEnglish translationPart of speechExample usage
JasonJason (Ἰάσων, Iásōn)Proper nounΟ Ιάσων ταξίδεψε με τους Αργοναύτες. (O Iásōn taxídepse me tous Argonáutes.) “Jason sailed with the Argonauts.”
JesusJesus (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsoûs)Proper nounΟ Ιησούς γεννήθηκε στη Βηθλεέμ. (O Iisoús gennítheke sti Vithleém.) “Jesus was born in Bethlehem.”
JohnJohn (Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs)Proper nounΟ Ιωάννης έγραψε ένα ευαγγέλιο. (O Ioánnis égrapse éna evangélio.) “John wrote a gospel.”
JacobJacob / James (Ἰάκωβος, Iákōbos)Proper nounΟ Ιάκωβος ήταν απόστολος. (O Iákovos ítan apóstolos.) “Jacob (James) was an apostle.”
JudasJudas / Jude (Ἰούδας, Ioúdas)Proper nounΟ Ιούδας πρόδωσε τον Ιησού. (O Ioúdas pródose ton Iisoú.) “Judas betrayed Jesus.”
JordanJordan (Ἰορδάνης, Iordánēs)Proper nounΟ Ιορδάνης ποταμός ρέει προς τη Νεκρά Θάλασσα. (O Iordánis potamós rée pros ti Nekrá Thálassa.) “The Jordan River flows toward the Dead Sea.”
JerusalemJerusalem (Ἱεροσόλυμα, Hierosólyma)Proper nounΤαξίδεψαν στα Ιεροσόλυμα. (Taxídepsan sta Ierosólyma.) “They traveled to Jerusalem.”
JeremiahJeremiah (Ἰερεμίας, Ieremías)Proper nounΟ Ιερεμίας ήταν προφήτης. (O Ieremías ítan profítis.) “Jeremiah was a prophet.”
JazzJazz (τζαζ, tzaz)NounΜου αρέσει η τζαζ. (Mou arései i tzaz.) “I like jazz.”
JeepJeep (τζιπ, tzip)NounΝοικιάσαμε ένα τζιπ στην Κρήτη. (Nikiásame éna tzip stin Kríti.) “We rented a jeep in Crete.”
JacketJacket (τζάκετ, tzáket)NounΦόρεσε ένα καινούργιο τζάκετ. (Fórese éna kainoúrgio tzáket.) “He wore a new jacket.”
JeansJeans (τζιν, tzin)Noun (plural in use)Φοράω πάντα τζιν. (Foráo pánta tzin.) “I always wear jeans.”

Descriptions

Jason
The English form of the Greek name Iásōn, the hero of Greek myth who led the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece. The Greek name is usually linked to the verb for “to heal.”
Jesus
The English form of the Greek Iēsoûs, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua. The New Testament was written in Greek, which is how the “J” spelling reached English.
John
The English form of the Greek Iōánnēs, from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning “God is gracious.” Ioannis is still one of the most common men’s names in Greece.
Jacob
The English form of the Greek Iákōbos, from the Hebrew Yaakov. English splits the same Greek name into “Jacob” and “James.”
Judas
The English form of the Greek Ioúdas, from the Hebrew Yehudah. The name later became a byword for betrayal in many languages.
Jordan
The Greek name for the river that runs through the Holy Land, spelled Iordánēs in Greek. English took the “J” spelling from Latin and French.
Jerusalem
The Greek form of the city’s name, Hierosólyma, used in the New Testament and the Greek Septuagint. Modern Greek uses the same word today.
Jeremiah
The English form of the Greek Ieremías, the name of the Old Testament prophet. It is a common Greek given name and is celebrated on May 1.
Jazz
A music loanword that Greek writes as τζαζ. Greek has no “J” letter, so the “tz” combination stands in for the English “j” sound.
Jeep
A loanword for an off-road vehicle, written τζιπ in Greek. It is a common way to explore rough roads on the islands.
Jacket
An English loanword for a short coat, written τζάκετ in Greek. Greek replaces the English “j” sound with “tz.”
Jeans
An English loanword for denim trousers, written τζιν in Greek. It is used for both the fabric and the garment.
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