Nic or nick?
nic is a noun meaning “nicotine”; nick is a noun meaning “A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the…”. They sound the same (/nɪk/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) nick is about 15 times as common as nic.
What is the difference between nic and nick?
| nic | nick | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Meaning | A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way | |
| Example | I prefer vaping with nic-free juice | in the nick of time |
| Forms | NICs | nicks |
| Pronunciation | /nɪk/ | /nɪk/ |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words | 39 times per million words |
Sources: nic and nick in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of nic and nick
nic
- 1
Acronym of network interface card or network interface controller, used to interface a computer to a network
- 2
slangnicotine
I prefer vaping with nic-free juice
- 3
Acronym of network information center
- 4
UKAcronym of national insurance contribution
nick
- 1
datedA notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution
- 2
To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way
I nicked myself while I was shaving
- 3
Clipping of nickname
a user’s reserved nick on an IRC network
- 4
A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch
- 5
To make ragged or uneven, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to deface, to mar
- 6
One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation
- 7
To make a cut at the side of the face
- 8
The point where the wall of the court meets the floor
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, nic or nick?
nic appears 2.5 times per million words; nick 39 times per million words.
nic 2.5 times per million wordsnick 39 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search nic vs nick?
“nic vs nick” is searched about 20 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“nick vs nic”, “nic or nick”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.