nape

/neɪp/

//neɪp// noun

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

"nape" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nape” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,953. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,953
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The back part of the neck.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nape · nape · English

nape · rank #44,953 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,953
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH naka

Nearest frequency peer: naka (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “nape”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “nape” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nape vs ne
50% similar
nape vs NP
0% similar
nape vs Nat
25% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nape
PropertyValue
Headwordnape
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/neɪp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#44,953
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nape”

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).napelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “naka” (#44,952), “natively” (#44,954), “nabi” (#44,950). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nape” is #44,953. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around nape (IPA /neɪp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,953 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for nape, with forms such as "anpe", "naep", and "nappe". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ne", "NP", "Nat", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nape, naape, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old French hanap (“goblet”), from Frankish *hnapp, from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz ( > Old English hnæpp, hnæp (“cup, bowl, goblet”)), as there is a hollow at the base of the skull. More at nap. The correct English form is nape, spelled N-A-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The back part of the neck.
  2. 2
    The part of a fish or bird immediately behind the head.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He was still stroking Radar, long glides of his hand from nape to tail.

Etymology

From Middle English nape, naape, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old French hanap (“goblet”), from Frankish *hnapp, from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz ( > Old English hnæpp, hnæp (“cup, bowl, goblet”)), as there is a hollow at the base of the skull. More at nap.

Synonyms

nuchanuchalscruffscruff of the neckwithers

This word in other languages

nuca(Español)nuque(Français)Nacken(Deutsch)nuca(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anpe
  • naep
  • nappe
  • nnape
  • npae

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nape - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

anpe2naep2nappe1nnape1npae2
Edit distance from "nape"

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 "nape"?
"nape" is spelled N-A-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /neɪp/.
What does "nape" mean?
As a noun, "nape" means: The back part of the neck.
What words are commonly confused with "nape"?
"nape" is commonly confused with "ne", "NP", "Nat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nape"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nape" is /neɪp/. 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 "nape"?
From Middle English nape, naape, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old French hanap (“goblet”), from Frankish *hnapp, from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz ( > Old English hnæpp, hnæp (“cup, bowl, goblet”)), as there is a hollow at the base of the skull. ... 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 "nape", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

naka#44,952nabi#44,950marg#44,926maim#44,918

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

Meena5 variantslagi5 variantsKiko5 variantskeir5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list