nigh

/naɪ/

//naɪ// adj

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

"nigh" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nigh” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,298 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#21,298
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Near, close by.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nigh vs NIH
0% similar
nigh vs nil
50% similar
nigh vs nip
50% similar

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

Key facts for nigh
PropertyValue
Headwordnigh
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/naɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#21,298
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nigh” 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). nigh 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 nigh is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /naɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,298 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for nigh, with forms such as "ingh", "ngih", and "niggh". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NIH", "nil", "nip", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- Proto-Germanic *nēhwazder. Proto-Germanic *nēhw Proto-West Germanic *nāhw Old English nēah Middle English neygh English nigh Inherited from Middle English neygh, from Old English nēah, from Proto-West Germanic *nāh… The correct English form is nigh, spelled N-I-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Near, close by.
  2. 2
    Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- Proto-Germanic *nēhwazder. Proto-Germanic *nēhw Proto-West Germanic *nāhw Old English nēah Middle English neygh English nigh Inherited from Middle English neygh, from Old English nēah, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw, from *nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”).

Synonyms

closenear

This word in other languages

cerca(Español)proche(Français)nahe(Deutsch)perto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ingh,ngih,niggh,nighh,nihg,nnigh

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ingh2ngih2niggh1nighh1nihg2nnigh1
Edit distance from "nigh"

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 "nigh"?
"nigh" is spelled N-I-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /naɪ/.
What does "nigh" mean?
As an adjective, "nigh" means: Near, close by.
What words are commonly confused with "nigh"?
"nigh" is commonly confused with "NIH", "nil", "nip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nigh"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nigh" is /naɪ/. 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 "nigh"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- Proto-Germanic *nēhwazder. Proto-Germanic *nēhw Proto-West Germanic *nāhw Old English nēah Middle English neygh English nigh Inherited from Middle English neygh, from Old English nēah, from Proto-West Ger... 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 “nigh”

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

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