nectar

/ˈnɛk.tə/

//ˈnɛk.tə// noun

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

"nectar" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nectar” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,011. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,011
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The drink of the gods.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nectar · nectar · English

nectar · rank #21,011 · 9 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,011
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Navajo

Nearest frequency peer: Navajo (-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 “nectar”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “nectar” 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).

nectar vs Nestor
50% similar
nectar vs neuter
67% similar
nectar vs near
67% similar

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

Key facts for nectar
PropertyValue
Headwordnectar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɛk.tə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#21,011
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nectar”

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).nectarlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Navajo” (#21,010), “narrowing” (#21,009), “nitrate” (#21,013). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nectar” is #21,011. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around nectar (IPA /ˈnɛk.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,011 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for nectar, with forms such as "enctar", "ncetar", and "necatr". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Nestor", "neuter", "near", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin nectar, from Ancient Greek νέκταρ (néktar, “nourishment of the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“perish, disappear”) + *-tr̥h₂ (“overcoming”), from *terh₂- (“to overcome, pass through, cross over”). The correct English form is nectar, spelled N-E-C-T-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The drink of the gods.
  2. 2
    Any delicious drink, now especially a type of sweetened fruit juice.
  3. 3
    The sweet liquid secreted by flowers to attract pollinating insects and birds.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. They pourd in soveraine balme and Nectar good, / Good both for erthly med'cine and for hevenly food.

Etymology

From Latin nectar, from Ancient Greek νέκταρ (néktar, “nourishment of the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“perish, disappear”) + *-tr̥h₂ (“overcoming”), from *terh₂- (“to overcome, pass through, cross over”).

This word in other languages

néctar(Español)nectar(Français)Nektar(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enctar
  • ncetar
  • necatr
  • necctar
  • nectarr
  • nectra
  • necttar
  • netcar
  • nnectar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enctar2ncetar2necatr2necctar1nectarr1nectra2necttar1netcar2
Edit distance from "nectar"

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 "nectar"?
"nectar" is spelled N-E-C-T-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɛk.tə/.
What does "nectar" mean?
As a noun, "nectar" means: The drink of the gods.
What words are commonly confused with "nectar"?
"nectar" is commonly confused with "Nestor", "neuter", "near". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nectar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nectar" is /ˈnɛk.tə/. 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 "nectar"?
From Latin nectar, from Ancient Greek νέκταρ (néktar, “nourishment of the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“perish, disappear”) + *-tr̥h₂ (“overcoming”), from *terh₂- (“to overcome, pass through, cross over”). 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 "nectar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Navajo#21,010pastel#21,019Maxine#20,999Maddie#20,991

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Namibia9 variantsO'Malley9 variantsplatter9 variantslament9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list