nictation
/nɪˈkteɪʃən/
"nictation" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“nictation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act or instance of winking or blinking; a wink, a blink.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | nictation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /nɪˈkteɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “nictation” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
nictation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /nɪˈkteɪʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An act or instance of winking or blinking; a wink, a blink.".
nictation doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From nictate. The correct English form is nictation, spelled N-I-C-T-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1An act or instance of winking or blinking; a wink, a blink.
Etymology
From nictate.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “nictation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-I-C-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /nɪˈkteɪʃən/ (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.