nickel

/ˈnɪk.əl/

//ˈnɪk.əl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nickel” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,370 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,370
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nickel vs Nike
50% similar
nickel vs Nigel
50% similar
nickel vs Nicky
50% similar

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

Key facts for nickel
PropertyValue
Headwordnickel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɪk.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,370
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nickel” 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). nickel 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 nickel is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɪk.əl/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,370 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for nickel, with forms such as "inckel", "ncikel", and "nicckel". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "Nike", "Nigel", "Nicky", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Nickel, first used in a text by the Swedish mineralogist Axel F. Cronstedt as an abbreviation of Kupfernickel (“a mineral containing copper and nickel”), from Kupfer (“copper”) + Nickel (“insignificant person, goblin”), originally nickn… The correct English form is nickel, spelled N-I-C-K-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni.
  2. 2
    A coin worth 5 cents.
  3. 3
    Five dollars.
  4. 4
    Five hundred dollars.
  5. 5
    Interstate 5, a highway that runs along the west coast of the United States.
  6. 6
    A playing card with the rank of five
  7. 7
    A five-year prison sentence.
  8. 8
    A defensive formation with five defensive backs, one of whom is a nickelback, instead of the more-common four.
  9. 9
    An airborne propaganda leaflet.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Nickel, first used in a text by the Swedish mineralogist Axel F. Cronstedt as an abbreviation of Kupfernickel (“a mineral containing copper and nickel”), from Kupfer (“copper”) + Nickel (“insignificant person, goblin”), originally nickname of Nikolaus (“Nicholas”), due to the deceptive silver colour of the relatively valueless ore. Compare cobalt as related to kobolds.

This word in other languages

níquel(Español)nickel(Français)Nickel(Deutsch)níquel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inckel,ncikel,nicckel,nicekl,nickell,nickkel,nickle,nikcel,nnickel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nickel - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

inckel2ncikel2nicckel1nicekl2nickell1nickkel1nickle2nikcel2
Edit distance from "nickel"

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 "nickel"?
"nickel" is spelled N-I-C-K-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɪk.əl/.
What does "nickel" mean?
As a noun, "nickel" means: A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni.
What words are commonly confused with "nickel"?
"nickel" is commonly confused with "Nike", "Nigel", "Nicky". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nickel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nickel" is /ˈnɪk.əl/. 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 "nickel"?
Borrowed from German Nickel, first used in a text by the Swedish mineralogist Axel F. Cronstedt as an abbreviation of Kupfernickel (“a mineral containing copper and nickel”), from Kupfer (“copper”) + Nickel (“insignificant person, goblin”), origin... 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 “nickel”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-I-C-K-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɪk.əl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Nike” - see the side-by-side comparison. nickel vs Nike
  • 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