nightmare

/ˈnaɪt.mɛə/

//ˈnaɪt.mɛə// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nightmare" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nightmare” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,239 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,239
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A very unpleasant or frightening dream.

Key facts for nightmare
PropertyValue
Headwordnightmare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪt.mɛə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,239
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nightmare” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for nightmare is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnaɪt.mɛə/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,239 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for nightmare, with forms such as "inghtmare", "ngihtmare", and "nigghtmare". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our 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 Middle English nyghtmare, from Old English *nihtmare, equivalent to night + mare (“evil spirit believed to afflict a sleeping person”). Cognate with Scots nichtmare and nichtmeer, Dutch nachtmerrie, Middle Low German nachtmār, German Nachtmahr. The correct English form is nightmare, spelled N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A very unpleasant or frightening dream.
  2. 2
    Any bad, miserable, difficult or terrifying situation or experience that arouses anxiety, terror, agony or great displeasure.
  3. 3
    A demon or monster, thought to plague people while they slept and cause a feeling of suffocation and terror during sleep.
  4. 4
    A feeling of extreme anxiety or suffocation experienced during sleep; sleep paralysis.

Etymology

From Middle English nyghtmare, from Old English *nihtmare, equivalent to night + mare (“evil spirit believed to afflict a sleeping person”). Cognate with Scots nichtmare and nichtmeer, Dutch nachtmerrie, Middle Low German nachtmār, German Nachtmahr.

Synonyms

incubussuccubusnight hagsleep paralysis

This word in other languages

pesadilla(Español)cauchemar(Français)Albtraum(Deutsch)pesadelo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inghtmare,ngihtmare,nigghtmare,nighhtmare,nighmtare,nightamre,nightmaer,nightmarre,nightmmare,nightmrae,nighttmare,nigthmare,nihgtmare,nnightmare

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nightmare - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

inghtmare2ngihtmare2nigghtmare1nighhtmare1nighmtare2nightamre2nightmaer2nightmarre1
Edit distance from "nightmare"

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 "nightmare"?
"nightmare" is spelled N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪt.mɛə/.
What does "nightmare" mean?
As a noun, "nightmare" means: A very unpleasant or frightening dream.
What are common misspellings of "nightmare"?
Common misspellings include "inghtmare", "ngihtmare", "nigghtmare", "nighhtmare", "nighmtare". The correct spelling is "nightmare".
How do you pronounce "nightmare"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nightmare" is /ˈnaɪt.mɛə/. 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 "nightmare"?
From Middle English nyghtmare, from Old English *nihtmare, equivalent to night + mare (“evil spirit believed to afflict a sleeping person”). Cognate with Scots nichtmare and nichtmeer, Dutch nachtmerrie, Middle Low German nachtmār, German Nachtmahr. 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.

Using “nightmare”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnaɪt.mɛə/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list