niello
/niˈɛloʊ/noun, verb
niello is spelled N-I-E-L-L-O: 6 letters. It appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 159,707th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, niello means “Any of various black metal alloys, made of sulphur with copper, silver or lead, used to create decorative designs on other metals” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of niello is niellos or nielli.
How many letters and syllables are in niello?
| Letters | 6: N-I-E-L-L-O |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 28 million words; the 159,707th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is niello?
Niello appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 159,707th 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 niello?
- UK /niˈɛləʊ/
- US /niˈɛloʊ/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with niello?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as niello from its last stressed vowel (/ɛloʊ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: lionel, nollie.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of niello
- niellos plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- nielli plural
- nielloing participle, present
- nielloed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does niello mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of various black metal alloys, made of sulphur with copper, silver or lead, used to create decorative designs on other metals.
- 2
An impression on paper taken from the engraved or incised surface before the niello alloy has been inlaid.
verb
- 1
To decorate (a surface) using this technique.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Niello in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense any of various black metal alloys:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | nielle, niello |
| German | Niello, Schwarzschmelz |
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 niello come from?
Borrowed from Italian niello, from Latin nigellus (“blackish”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).