Gist vs. Jist – What’s the Gist?
With this word pairing, only one of the words is an actual dictionary entry. The other one is a misspelling.
- Gist is a noun.
- Jist isn’t listed in the dictionary.
Because gist is pronounced as \jist\, it is likely that people are spelling the word phonetically, which causes the confusion.
How to Use Gist in a Sentence
Gist definition: The noun gist has two distinct definitions. The secondary definition, meaning the main point or part, is the probable denotation people want.
For example:
- After the initial blow out, it was discovered that the gist of the disagreement boiled down to a conflict in values. (Noun)
- Because the instructions were extremely convoluted, the students couldn’t figure out the gist of the assignment. (Noun)
- The gist of the directions was to make two left turns then a right one. (Noun)
Gist also has a legal meaning, indicating the bases on which a legal action rests. Primarily, though, the word gist refers to the essence of something.
How to Use Jist in a Sentence
Jist definition: Jist is not a word, but rather, it is a misspelling of the word gist.
For example:
- The jist of their agreement was to begin payments after the first paycheck. (Misspelling)
In the above example, a word processing program will likely underline this “word,” indicating it as a misspelled term.
Outside Examples of Gist vs. Jist
- Revival, if it exists, is sporadic, isolated. That’s the gist of it, the truth of Pew’s statistics. Churches are fading from the American scene. –The Dallas Morning News
- The gist of an article published this week by the New York Times, as far as I can tell, is that we are prone to over-hugging here in La La Land. It is a first-person account in which the author, a New Yorker currently living in California, describes being hugged by a shaman. –The LA Times
- The article is based on analysis from investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., based in Houston, Texas, and the jist [read gist] of the issue, according to Bloomberg, is that “oil producers drilling so-called parent-child wells in the Permian Basin are risking the loss of 15 percent to 20 percent of the crude that can ultimately be recovered from those wells by spacing them too close together.” –Yahoo!Finance
The last outside example above shows that even in well-known periodicals these mistakes can creep in.
Phrases That Use Gist and Jist
As you might surmise, there are no phrases that use the word jist; however, there are a couple of idioms that use the word gist, including:
What’s the gist: Explaining the main point of something.
- As the physician droned on, the patient interrupted, “What’s the gist of the diagnosis?”
Just give me the gist: Just get to the essence of something.
- When the mother began over communicating, her child said, “Just give me the gist.”
How to Remember These Words
The item to consider in this word pairing is which one of these words is the correct spelling. This confusion lies in the fact that the phonogram g can make two different sounds: \g\ as in garage and \j\ as in gist.
A mnemonic device to help you choose the correct spelling is to connect the word ground (which can reflect the foundation or the essence of something) to the word gist since they both start with the letter g.
Quiz: Gist or Jist
- The _______ of the training video was consistent commitment.
- After looking at the fine print, the financial advisor explained the _______ of the terms.
- Before opening up the session to questions, the instructor boiled down the _______ of the assignment.
- The dad revealed the _______ of the morning’s cleaning schedule to the children.
Article Summary
Is gist or jist correct? Your word processor can help you here. If you see the squiggly red line under the word jist, you know that you have misspelled it. Correct it to the spelling of g i s t.
Just remember the following: To get the gist, pick the letter g.
- Gist is a noun.
- Jist is not a word.
Quiz Answers
- Gist
- Gist
- Gist
- Gist