nighthawk
/ˈnʌɪthɔːk/
"nighthawk" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“nighthawk” is an uncommon English word, ranked #51,279 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #51,279
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A nightjar, especially Caprimulgus europaeus (Eurasian nightjar).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | nighthawk |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnʌɪthɔːk/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #51,279 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “nighthawk” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for nighthawk is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnʌɪthɔːk/. Corpus data places it at rank #51,279 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for nighthawk, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From night + hawk. The correct English form is nighthawk, spelled N-I-G-H-T-H-A-W-K.
Definition
- 1A nightjar, especially Caprimulgus europaeus (Eurasian nightjar).
- 2A New World nightjar of the genus Chordeiles, especially Chordeiles minor.
- 3A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.
- 4A nighthawker (metal detectorist who works illegally at night).
- 5An unlicensed prostitute who worked the roadsides at night.
Etymology
From night + hawk.
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
How do you spell "nighthawk"?
What does "nighthawk" mean?
How do you pronounce "nighthawk"?
What is the origin of the word "nighthawk"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “nighthawk”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-I-G-H-T-H-A-W-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnʌɪthɔːk/ (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
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.