naughty

/ˈnɔːti/

//ˈnɔːti// adj

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

"naughty" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“naughty” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,214 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,214
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mischievous; tending to misbehave or act badly (especially of a child).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

naughty vs naught
86% similar

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

Key facts for naughty
PropertyValue
Headwordnaughty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈnɔːti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,214
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “naughty” 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). naughty 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 naughty is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɔːti/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,214 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for naughty, with forms such as "anughty", "naguhty", and "naugghty". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "naught", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English noughti, naughty (“evil, immoral, wicked”), from nought (“evil, immoral”) + -ī̆ (suffix forming adjectives). Analysable as naught + -y. The correct English form is naughty, spelled N-A-U-G-H-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mischievous; tending to misbehave or act badly (especially of a child).
  2. 2
    Sexually provocative; now in weakened sense, risqué, cheeky.
  3. 3
    Decadent, had as indulgence, especially an unhealthy one.
  4. 4
    Evil, wicked, morally reprehensible.
  5. 5
    Bad, worthless, substandard.

Etymology

From late Middle English noughti, naughty (“evil, immoral, wicked”), from nought (“evil, immoral”) + -ī̆ (suffix forming adjectives). Analysable as naught + -y.

Synonyms

dirtymischievous

Antonyms

nice

This word in other languages

travieso(Español)malicieux(Français)ungezogen(Deutsch)travesso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anughty,naguhty,naugghty,naughhty,naughtty,naughtyy,naughyt,naugthy,nauhgty,nnaughty,nuaghty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anughty2naguhty2naugghty1naughhty1naughtty1naughtyy1naughyt2naugthy2
Edit distance from "naughty"

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 "naughty"?
"naughty" is spelled N-A-U-G-H-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɔːti/.
What does "naughty" mean?
As an adjective, "naughty" means: Mischievous; tending to misbehave or act badly (especially of a child).
What words are commonly confused with "naughty"?
"naughty" is commonly confused with "naught". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "naughty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "naughty" is /ˈnɔːti/. 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 "naughty"?
From late Middle English noughti, naughty (“evil, immoral, wicked”), from nought (“evil, immoral”) + -ī̆ (suffix forming adjectives). Analysable as naught + -y. 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 “naughty”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-U-G-H-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɔːti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “naught” - see the side-by-side comparison. naughty vs naught
  • 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