nighttime

/ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/

//ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nighttime” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,443. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,443
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise; the night.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nighttime · nighttime · English

nighttime · rank #20,443 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #20,443
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nonlinear

Nearest frequency peer: nonlinear (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “nighttime”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “nighttime” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

nighttime vs nightlife
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for nighttime
PropertyValue
Headwordnighttime
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#20,443
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nighttime”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “nonlinear” (#20,444), “nervously” (#20,441), “Northumberland” (#20,446). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nighttime” is #20,443. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around nighttime (IPA /ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,443 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise; the night.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for nighttime, with forms such as "inghttime", "ngihttime", and "nigghttime". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "nightlife", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nyght tyme, nyȝttyme, equivalent to night + time. Compare Dutch nachttijd, German Nachtzeit, Danish nattetid, Swedish nattetid. Compare also Middle English nyȝter tyme (“nighttime”), from Old Norse náttartími, nætrtími (“nighttime”). The correct English form is nighttime, spelled N-I-G-H-T-T-I-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise; the night.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Nighttime fell like the opening / In the final act of the beginning of time
  2. Smith Barney, for example, goes so far as to shift the hours during which taxi rides home are expensable as nighttime lengthens and shortens, says Moszkowski.

Etymology

From Middle English nyght tyme, nyȝttyme, equivalent to night + time. Compare Dutch nachttijd, German Nachtzeit, Danish nattetid, Swedish nattetid. Compare also Middle English nyȝter tyme (“nighttime”), from Old Norse náttartími, nætrtími (“nighttime”).

Synonyms

nightertalenighttidenightnighttimescotoperiodskotoperiod

Antonyms

daydaytime

This word in other languages

conticinio(Español)nuit(Français)Nacht(Deutsch)noite(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inghttime
  • ngihttime
  • nigghttime
  • nighhttime
  • nightime
  • nightitme
  • nighttiem
  • nighttimme
  • nighttmie
  • nigthtime
  • nihgttime
  • nnighttime

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inghttime2ngihttime2nigghttime1nighhttime1nightime1nightitme2nighttiem2nighttimme1
Edit distance from "nighttime"

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 "nighttime"?
"nighttime" is spelled N-I-G-H-T-T-I-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/.
What does "nighttime" mean?
As a noun, "nighttime" means: The hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise; the night.
What words are commonly confused with "nighttime"?
"nighttime" is commonly confused with "nightlife". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nighttime"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nighttime" is /ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/. 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 "nighttime"?
From Middle English nyght tyme, nyȝttyme, equivalent to night + time. Compare Dutch nachttijd, German Nachtzeit, Danish nattetid, Swedish nattetid. Compare also Middle English nyȝter tyme (“nighttime”), from Old Norse náttartími, nætrtími (“nightt... 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 "nighttime", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nonlinear#20,444nervously#20,441numbering#20,447musically#20,437

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

monologue12 variantspendulum12 variantspoignant12 variantsmerciful12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list