naiad

/ˈneɪæd/

//ˈneɪæd// noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.

Corpus desk

Index EN-naiad · naiad · English

naiad · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for naiad
PropertyValue
Headwordnaiad
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈneɪæd/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “naiad” in English

naiadfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

naiad is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈneɪæd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

naiad doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Nāïas, from Ancient Greek Νᾱϊάς (Nāïás, “naiad”), from νάω (náō, “to flow”). The correct English form is naiad, spelled N-A-I-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.
  2. 2
    The aquatic larva (nymph) of a dragonfly or damselfly.
  3. 3
    Any of various aquatic plants of the genus Najas.

Etymology

From Latin Nāïas, from Ancient Greek Νᾱϊάς (Nāïás, “naiad”), from νάω (náō, “to flow”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "naiad"?
"naiad" is spelled N-A-I-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈneɪæd/.
What does "naiad" mean?
As a noun, "naiad" means: A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.
How do you pronounce "naiad"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "naiad" is /ˈneɪæd/. 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 "naiad"?
From Latin Nāïas, from Ancient Greek Νᾱϊάς (Nāïás, “naiad”), from νάω (náō, “to flow”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list