# nigh

> English word · Adjective · IPA /naɪ/ · frequency rank #21,298

## Definitions
1. Near, close by.
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **NIH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nih)
- **nil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nil)
- **nip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nip)
- **nit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nit)
- **nix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nix)
- **nth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nth)
- **nuh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nuh)
- **nis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nis)
- **nin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nin)
- **nim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nim)
- **NRG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nrg)
- **Noh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-noh)
- **nog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nog)
- **nine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nine)
- **Noah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-noah)
- **Nike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nike)
- **Nina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nina)
- **Nile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nile)
- **Niko** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-niko)
- **nite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nigh-vs-nite)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ingh`, `ngih`, `niggh`, `nighh`, `nihg`, `nnigh`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nigh