nicety
/ˈnaɪsɪti/noun, adjective
nicety is spelled N-I-C-E-T-Y: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 20 million words in written English, the 134,976th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, nicety means “A small detail or distinction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of nicety is niceties.
How many letters and syllables are in nicety?
| Letters | 6: N-I-C-E-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 20 million words; the 134,976th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is nicety?
Nicety appears about once in every 20 million words in written English, the 134,976th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce nicety?
- /ˈnaɪsɪti/
Nicety has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-nicety.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of nicety
- niceties plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nicety mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A small detail or distinction.
We met the new captain while we were taking enemy fire and were unable to observe the niceties of formal introductions.
- 2
Subtlety or precision of use; exactness; preciseness.
A rocket-propelled grenade doesn't have the nicety of a sniper round, but you must admit its effectiveness.
- 3
A delicacy of character or feeling usually from excessive refinement; fastidiousness.
- 4
Synonym of social nicety.
- 5
obsoleteThat which is delicate to the taste.
adjective
- 1
Behaving in an unpleasant or spiteful way that is seemingly, or perceived as, pleasant or agreeable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Nicety in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | délicatesse , subtilité |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does nicety come from?
From Middle English nicetee, from Old French niceté (“simpleness, foolishness”), from nice (“simple, foolish”); equivalent to nice + -e- + -ty.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).