neko

noun

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

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

The verdict

“neko” is uncommon English (frequency #50,099 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,099
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A catgirl or catboy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-neko · neko · English

neko · rank #50,099 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,099
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH neoprene

Nearest frequency peer: neoprene (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “neko”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “neko” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for neko
PropertyValue
Headwordneko
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#50,099
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “neko” in English

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).nekofalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “neoprene” (#50,100), “Negev” (#50,097), “Newham” (#50,103). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “neko” is #50,099. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

neko is uncommon English at frequency #50,099 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A catgirl or catboy.".

neko doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of nekomimi. The correct English form is neko, spelled N-E-K-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A catgirl or catboy.

Etymology

Clipping of nekomimi.

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 "neko"?
"neko" is spelled N-E-K-O.
What does "neko" mean?
As a noun, "neko" means: A catgirl or catboy.
What is the origin of the word "neko"?
Clipping of nekomimi. 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 "neko", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Nala#50,090mota#50,082nott#50,117Nuer#50,119

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list