near

/nɪə/

//nɪə// adj

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

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

The verdict

“near” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #514 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#514
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Physically close.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

near vs nr
50% similar
near vs new
50% similar
near vs nor
50% similar

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

Key facts for near
PropertyValue
Headwordnear
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/nɪə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#514
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “near” 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). near 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 near is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɪə/. Corpus data places it at rank #514 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for near, with forms such as "enar", "naer", and "nearr". 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, "nr", "new", "nor", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw … The correct English form is near, spelled N-E-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physically close.
  2. 2
    Close in time.
  3. 3
    Closely connected or related.
  4. 4
    Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
  5. 5
    Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
  6. 6
    So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
  7. 7
    Approximate, almost.
  8. 8
    On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left).
  9. 9
    Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team.
  10. 10
    Immediate; direct; close; short.
  11. 11
    Stingy; parsimonious.
  12. 12
    Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture.

Etymology

From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”), from the adjective *nēhwaz, ultimately from Pre-Proto-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos, a lengthened-grade adjective derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian nai, noi, näi (“close, near”), Saterland Frisian nai (“close, near”), Dutch na (“close”), naar (“to, towards”), Dutch Low Saxon nao (“after”), German nach (“after”), nahe (“near”), näher (“nearer”), German Low German nao, nå (“towards”), Luxembourgish no (“after”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk nær (“close, near”), Swedish när, nära (“close, near”), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “close, near”). See also nigh. Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective. Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw (“near, close”).

Synonyms

nighquasi-around the cornerciteriorcloseclose byimmediatenearnearbypresentpropinquitousproximate

Antonyms

distantoff

This word in other languages

cercano(Español)près(Français)nah(Deutsch)perto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enar,naer,nearr,nera,nnear

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of near - 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.

enar2naer2nearr1nera2nnear1
Edit distance from "near"

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 "near"?
"near" is spelled N-E-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /nɪə/.
What does "near" mean?
As an adjective, "near" means: Physically close.
What words are commonly confused with "near"?
"near" is commonly confused with "nr", "new", "nor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "near"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "near" is /nɪə/. 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 "near"?
From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adv... 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 “near”

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

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