nettle

[…]

/[…]/ noun

The verdict

“nettle” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pflanze aus der Gattung Urtica mit Härchen, die bei Berührung die Haut reizen: Brennnessel, Nessel

Corpus desk

Index DE-nettle · nettle · German

nettle · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for nettle
PropertyValue
Headwordnettle
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[…]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „nettle“ im Deutschen

nettlesitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nettle is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed […]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for nettle, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is nettle, spelled N-E-T-T-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pflanze aus der Gattung Urtica mit Härchen, die bei Berührung die Haut reizen: Brennnessel, Nessel
  2. 2
    Pflanze mit ähnlichen Eigenschaften wie die der Gattung Urtica: Nessel

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how nettle appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The meadow was full of nettles.

Synonyms

stinging nettle

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nettle"?
"nettle" is spelled N-E-T-T-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "nettle" mean?
As a noun, "nettle" means: Pflanze aus der Gattung Urtica mit Härchen, die bei Berührung die Haut reizen: Brennnessel, Nessel
How do you pronounce "nettle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nettle" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nettle" come from?
"nettle" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list