nationalism

/ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/

//ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m// noun

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

"nationalism" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nationalism” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,213 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,213
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A more extreme form of patriotism; the idea of a more extreme support for one's country, people or culture.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nationalism vs nationals
82% similar
nationalism vs nationalist
91% similar
nationalism vs nationality
82% similar

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

Key facts for nationalism
PropertyValue
Headwordnationalism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/
Letters11
Frequency rank#9,213
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nationalism” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nationalism lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for nationalism is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,213 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for nationalism, with forms such as "antionalism", "naitonalism", and "natinoalism". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "nationals", "nationalist", "nationality", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French nationalisme, equivalent to national + -ism. The correct English form is nationalism, spelled N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A more extreme form of patriotism; the idea of a more extreme support for one's country, people or culture.
  2. 2
    Support for the creation of a sovereign nation (which does not currently exist).
  3. 3
    Support for the union of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Etymology

Borrowed from French nationalisme, equivalent to national + -ism.

Antonyms

internationalismantinationalismcosmopolitanismunionism

This word in other languages

nacionalismo(Español)nationalisme(Français)Nationalismus(Deutsch)nacionalismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: antionalism,naitonalism,natinoalism,natioanlism,nationailsm,nationalims,nationalismm,nationalissm,nationallism,nationalsim,nationlaism,nationnalism,natoinalism,nattionalism,nnationalism,ntaionalism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nationalism - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

antionalism2naitonalism2natinoalism2natioanlism2nationailsm2nationalims2nationalismm1nationalissm1
Edit distance from "nationalism"

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 "nationalism"?
"nationalism" is spelled N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/.
What does "nationalism" mean?
As a noun, "nationalism" means: A more extreme form of patriotism; the idea of a more extreme support for one's country, people or culture.
What words are commonly confused with "nationalism"?
"nationalism" is commonly confused with "nationals", "nationalist", "nationality". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nationalism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nationalism" is /ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/. 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 "nationalism"?
Borrowed from French nationalisme, equivalent to national + -ism. 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.

Using “nationalism”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “nationals” - see the side-by-side comparison. nationalism vs nationals
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list