nevertheless

/ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/

//ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs// adv

"nevertheless" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nevertheless” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,692 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#4,692
frequency rank, English
12
letters
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In spite of what preceded; yet.

Key facts for nevertheless
PropertyValue
Headwordnevertheless
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#4,692
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nevertheless” 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). nevertheless 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 nevertheless is 12 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,692 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "In spite of what preceded; yet.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for nevertheless, with forms such as "envertheless", "neevrtheless", and "neverhteless". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nevertheles, never-þe-les, nevere-þe-lesse. By surface analysis, never (“not at all”) + the + less; compare never the wiser. The correct English form is nevertheless, spelled N-E-V-E-R-T-H-E-L-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    In spite of what preceded; yet.

Etymology

From Middle English nevertheles, never-þe-les, nevere-þe-lesse. By surface analysis, never (“not at all”) + the + less; compare never the wiser.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: envertheless,neevrtheless,neverhteless,neverrtheless,nevertehless,nevertheelss,nevertheles,neverthelless,neverthelses,neverthheless,neverthleess,neverttheless,nevetrheless,nevretheless,nevvertheless,nnevertheless,nveertheless

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

envertheless2neevrtheless2neverhteless2neverrtheless1nevertehless2nevertheelss2nevertheles1neverthelless1
Edit distance from "nevertheless"

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 "nevertheless"?
"nevertheless" is spelled N-E-V-E-R-T-H-E-L-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/.
What does "nevertheless" mean?
As an adverb, "nevertheless" means: In spite of what preceded; yet.
What are common misspellings of "nevertheless"?
Common misspellings include "envertheless", "neevrtheless", "neverhteless", "neverrtheless", "nevertehless". The correct spelling is "nevertheless".
How do you pronounce "nevertheless"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nevertheless" is /ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/. 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 "nevertheless"?
From Middle English nevertheles, never-þe-les, nevere-þe-lesse. By surface analysis, never (“not at all”) + the + less; compare never the wiser. 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 “nevertheless”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-V-E-R-T-H-E-L-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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