nimble

/ˈnɪmbl̩/

//ˈnɪmbl̩// adj

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

"nimble" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nimble” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,524 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#26,524
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Adept at taking or grasping.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nimble vs noble
67% similar
nimble vs nipple
67% similar
nimble vs nimbus
67% similar

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

Key facts for nimble
PropertyValue
Headwordnimble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈnɪmbl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#26,524
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nimble” 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). nimble 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 nimble is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɪmbl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,524 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for nimble, with forms such as "inmble", "nibmle", and "nimbble". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "noble", "nipple", "nimbus", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), both from niman (“to take”) + -el, -ol (associativ… The correct English form is nimble, spelled N-I-M-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Adept at taking or grasping.
  2. 2
    Quick and light in movement or action.
  3. 3
    Quickwitted and alert.

Etymology

From Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), both from niman (“to take”) + -el, -ol (associative suffix), corresponding to nim + -le. Compare German nehmen, Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman), Old Norse nema (“to take”). More at nim.

Antonyms

sluggish

This word in other languages

diestro(Español)agile(Français)schnell(Deutsch)ágil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inmble,nibmle,nimbble,nimbel,nimblle,nimlbe,nimmble,nmible,nnimble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inmble2nibmle2nimbble1nimbel2nimblle1nimlbe2nimmble1nmible2
Edit distance from "nimble"

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 "nimble"?
"nimble" is spelled N-I-M-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɪmbl̩/.
What does "nimble" mean?
As an adjective, "nimble" means: Adept at taking or grasping.
What words are commonly confused with "nimble"?
"nimble" is commonly confused with "noble", "nipple", "nimbus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nimble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nimble" is /ˈnɪmbl̩/. 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 "nimble"?
From Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), both from niman (“to take”) + -el, -ol (... 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 “nimble”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-I-M-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɪmbl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “noble” - see the side-by-side comparison. nimble vs noble
  • 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