Nahum

/ˈneɪəm/

//ˈneɪəm// name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nahum" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Nahum” is uncommon English (frequency #64,562 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,562
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A book of the Tanakh / the Old Testament of the Bible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nahum · Nahum · English

Nahum · rank #64,562 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,562
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nephilim

Nearest frequency peer: Nephilim (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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.

Long-tail ranks near “Nahum”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Nahum” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Nahum
PropertyValue
HeadwordNahum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈneɪəm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#64,562
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Nahum” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Nahumfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Nephilim” (#64,564), “motu” (#64,559), “motile” (#64,558). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “Nahum” is #64,562. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Nahum is uncommon English at frequency #64,562 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈneɪəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Nahum, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Hebrew נַחוּם (nakhúm, “consolation”). The correct English form is Nahum, spelled N-A-H-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A book of the Tanakh / the Old Testament of the Bible.
  2. 2
    The minor prophet who wrote that book.
  3. 3
    A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Nahum Tate's grandfather and father were both clergymen.

Etymology

Derived from Hebrew נַחוּם (nakhúm, “consolation”).

This word in other languages

Naún(Español)Nahum(Français)Nahum(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nahum"?
"Nahum" is spelled N-A-H-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈneɪəm/.
What does "Nahum" mean?
As a proper noun, "Nahum" means: A book of the Tanakh / the Old Testament of the Bible.
How do you pronounce "Nahum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nahum" is /ˈneɪəm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Nahum"?
Derived from Hebrew נַחוּם (nakhúm, “consolation”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Nahum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Norsk#64,574Metis#64,536medio#64,531Masri#64,526

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list