nightcap
/ˈnaɪtˌkæp/
"nightcap" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“nightcap” is uncommon English (frequency #59,575 among 24,391 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #59,575
- frequency rank, English
- 24,391
- “N” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas, being common attire in northern Europe before effective home heating became widespread.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | nightcap |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnaɪtˌkæp/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #59,575 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “nightcap” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
nightcap is uncommon English at frequency #59,575 among 24,391 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnaɪtˌkæp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for nightcap, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From night + cap. The correct English form is nightcap, spelled N-I-G-H-T-C-A-P.
Definition
- 1A warm cloth cap worn while sleeping, often with pajamas, being common attire in northern Europe before effective home heating became widespread.
- 2A beverage drunk before bed that is usually alcoholic.
- 3Something that a person reads or listens to before bed.
- 4The final match of a sporting contest, especially the second game of a baseball doubleheader.
- 5A cap drawn over the face of the condemned person before they are hanged.
Etymology
From night + cap.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “nightcap”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-I-G-H-T-C-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnaɪtˌkæp/ (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
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.