nightlight

/ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt/

//ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt// noun

"nightlight" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nightlight” is uncommon English (frequency #79,795 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,795
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight

Corpus desk

Index EN-nightlight · nightlight · English

nightlight · rank #79,795 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #79,795
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nodular

Nearest frequency peer: nodular (+1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “nightlight”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “nightlight” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for nightlight
PropertyValue
Headwordnightlight
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#79,795
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nightlight” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).nightlightfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “nodular” (#79,796), “Nian” (#79,793), “noonday” (#79,798). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nightlight” is #79,795. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nightlight is uncommon English at frequency #79,795 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for nightlight in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. 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 + light. The correct English form is nightlight, spelled N-I-G-H-T-L-I-G-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight
  2. 2
    light that shines at night such as moonlight, starlight, etc.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She had brought in with her the night-light that had been burning outside her door. She blew it out.
  2. They made you give up / your nightlight / and your teddy / and your thumb.

Etymology

From night + light.

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 "nightlight"?
"nightlight" is spelled N-I-G-H-T-L-I-G-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt/.
What does "nightlight" mean?
As a noun, "nightlight" means: a small, dim light or lamp left on overnight
How do you pronounce "nightlight"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nightlight" is /ˈnaɪtˌlaɪt/. 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 "nightlight"?
From night + light. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "nightlight", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list