nice

/naɪs/

//naɪs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“nice” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #423) as an adjective. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#423
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pleasant, satisfactory.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nice · nice · English

nice · rank #423 · 4 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #423
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-LOW 4 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH needs

Nearest frequency peer: needs (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “nice”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “nice” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

nice vs NYC
0% similar
nice vs NIH
0% similar
nice vs nil
50% similar

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

Key facts for nice
PropertyValue
Headwordnice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/naɪs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#423
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nice” 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). nice lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for nice is neighbouring look-alikes ("NYC", "NIH", …), not just typos; it is anadjective pronounced /naɪs/. Frequency #423 among 1,534 “N” headwords. 13 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for nice, with forms such as "ncie", "nicce", and "niec". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NYC", "NIH", "nil", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”). The correct English form is nice, spelled N-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pleasant, satisfactory.
  2. 2
    Of a person: friendly, attractive.
  3. 3
    Respectable; virtuous.
  4. 4
    Shows that the given adjective is desirable, or acts as a mild intensifier; pleasantly, quite.
  5. 5
    Giving a favorable review or having a favorable impression.
  6. 6
    Showing refinement or delicacy, proper, seemly
  7. 7
    Silly, ignorant; foolish.
  8. 8
    Particular in one's conduct; scrupulous, painstaking; choosy.
  9. 9
    Having particular tastes; fussy, fastidious.
  10. 10
    Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict.
  11. 11
    Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle.
  12. 12
    Easily injured; delicate; dainty.
  13. 13
    Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You weren’t nice to me this morning.
  2. "It's a lot nicer than going round by the road; that is so dusty and hot," said Diana practically, peeping into her dinner basket and mentally calculating if the three juicy, toothsome, raspberry tarts reposing there were divided among ten girls, how many bites each girl would have.

Etymology

From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).

Synonyms

charmingdelightfulfriendlykindlovelypleasantsweetcharmingappetisingappetizingdeliciousmoreishscrummyscrumptioustastyfinesubtle

Antonyms

horriblehorridnastyhorribleawfuldisgustingfoulhorriblehorridnastynauseatingputridrancidranksickeningdistastefulgrossunsatisfactorynaughty

This word in other languages

paja(Español)gentil(Français)freundlich(Deutsch)bonito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ncie
  • nicce
  • niec
  • nnice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ncie2nicce1niec2nnice1
Edit distance from "nice"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nice"?
"nice" is spelled N-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /naɪs/.
What does "nice" mean?
As an adjective, "nice" means: Pleasant, satisfactory.
What words are commonly confused with "nice"?
"nice" is commonly confused with "NYC", "NIH", "nil". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nice" is /naɪs/. 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 "nice"?
From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”). 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 "nice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

yeah#428york#429john#414girl#413

What to do next

You've looked up "nice". Here's where to go from here.

  • "nice" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "NYC". View pair
  • 4 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #423 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "N" letter cohort. N–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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