nicely

/ˈnʌɪsli/

//ˈnʌɪsli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“nicely” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,386. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,386
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fastidiously; carefully.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nicely · nicely · English

nicely · rank #6,386 · 9 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,386
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Newcastle

Nearest frequency peer: Newcastle (-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 “nicely”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “nicely” 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).

nicely vs Nigel
50% similar
nicely vs Nicky
50% similar
nicely vs Nicol
50% similar

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

Key facts for nicely
PropertyValue
Headwordnicely
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈnʌɪsli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,386
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nicely”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).nicelylands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “Newcastle” (#6,385), “ninth” (#6,387), “nest” (#6,384). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nicely” is #6,386. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around nicely (IPA /ˈnʌɪsli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #6,386 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 nicely, with forms such as "incely", "nciely", and "niccely". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Nigel", "Nicky", "Nicol", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nycely; equivalent to nice + -ly. The correct English form is nicely, spelled N-I-C-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fastidiously; carefully.
  2. 2
    Precisely; with fine discernment or judgement.
  3. 3
    Pleasantly; satisfactorily.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He lookt askew with his mistrustfull eyes, / And nicely trode, as thornes lay in his way, / Or that the flore to shrinke he did auyse [...].
  2. All told, we had scarce two miles to run; but the navigation was delicate, the entrance to this northern anchorage was not only narrow and shoal, but lay east and west, so that the schooner must be nicely handled to be got in.

Etymology

From Middle English nycely; equivalent to nice + -ly.

This word in other languages

bien(Español)agréablement(Français)gut(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • incely
  • nciely
  • niccely
  • nicelly
  • nicelyy
  • niceyl
  • nicley
  • niecly
  • nnicely

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

incely2nciely2niccely1nicelly1nicelyy1niceyl2nicley2niecly2
Edit distance from "nicely"

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 "nicely"?
"nicely" is spelled N-I-C-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnʌɪsli/.
What does "nicely" mean?
As an adverb, "nicely" means: Fastidiously; carefully.
What words are commonly confused with "nicely"?
"nicely" is commonly confused with "Nigel", "Nicky", "Nicol". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nicely"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nicely" is /ˈnʌɪsli/. 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 "nicely"?
From Middle English nycely; equivalent to nice + -ly. 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 "nicely", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

monkey#6,380matrix#6,376rebels#6,404fruits#6,360

Similar misspelling depth

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

outlook9 variantsgrabbed9 variantsfreely9 variantswounds9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list