How Do You Spell JELKS?

Pronunciation: [d͡ʒˈɛlks] (IPA)

The word "jelks" is spelled with a "j" instead of the more common "g" because it is a variant of the word "gelcs" which comes from the Middle English "geluk" meaning luck or fortune. The "j" in "jelks" is pronounced as a voiced palatal stop /dʒ/ and is used to represent the same sound as the "g" in "gelcs". The spelling of "jelks" may seem unusual at first sight, but it is a perfectly valid way to represent the word's pronunciation.