nightclothes

/ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z/

//ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z// noun

"nightclothes" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nightclothes” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Clothing worn while sleeping in bed, such as pyjamas or a nightgown, and, when worn over nightclothes, a robe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nightclothes · nightclothes · English

nightclothes · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for nightclothes
PropertyValue
Headwordnightclothes
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nightclothes” in English

nightclothesranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nightclothes is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Clothing worn while sleeping in bed, such as pyjamas or a nightgown, and, when worn over nightclothes, a robe.".

nightclothes has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From night + clothes. The correct English form is nightclothes, spelled N-I-G-H-T-C-L-O-T-H-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Clothing worn while sleeping in bed, such as pyjamas or a nightgown, and, when worn over nightclothes, a robe.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how nightclothes appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The disturbance brought out many of the neighbors in their nightclothes.

Etymology

From night + clothes.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nightclothes"?
"nightclothes" is spelled N-I-G-H-T-C-L-O-T-H-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z/.
What does "nightclothes" mean?
As a noun, "nightclothes" means: Clothing worn while sleeping in bed, such as pyjamas or a nightgown, and, when worn over nightclothes, a robe.
How do you pronounce "nightclothes"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nightclothes" is /ˈnaɪt.kləʊ(ð)z/. 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 "nightclothes"?
From night + clothes. 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list