nipple

/ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/

//ˈnɪ.p(ə)l// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nipple” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,081 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,081
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nipple vs Nippon
50% similar
nipple vs Nile
50% similar
nipple vs Nicole
50% similar

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

Key facts for nipple
PropertyValue
Headwordnipple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,081
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nipple” 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). nipple 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 nipple is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,081 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for nipple, with forms such as "inpple", "niple", and "niplpe". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Nippon", "Nile", "Nicole", 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 earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" . The correct English form is nipple, spelled N-I-P-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.
  2. 2
    The nipple (definition 1) and the areola together.
  3. 3
    A mechanical device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner.
  4. 4
    An artificial nipple (definition 1) used for bottle-feeding infants.
  5. 5
    Any small physical protrusion, such as the lumps on the F and J keys on computer keyboards.
  6. 6
    Any small physical protrusion on an automotive, a machine part or any other part that fits into a groove on another part.
  7. 7
    A perforated segment that fits into part of the breech of a muzzle-loading gun, on which the percussion cap is fixed.
  8. 8
    A short tube threaded at both ends, used as a connector.
  9. 9
    An internally threaded piece which holds a bicycle spoke in place on the rim.
  10. 10
    A pointing stick.

Etymology

From earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" .

This word in other languages

pezón(Español)mamelon(Français)Nippel(Deutsch)mamilo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inpple,niple,niplpe,nippel,nipplle,nnipple,npiple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nipple - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inpple2niple1niplpe2nippel2nipplle1nnipple1npiple2
Edit distance from "nipple"

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 "nipple"?
"nipple" is spelled N-I-P-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/.
What does "nipple" mean?
As a noun, "nipple" means: The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.
What words are commonly confused with "nipple"?
"nipple" is commonly confused with "Nippon", "Nile", "Nicole". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nipple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nipple" is /ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/. 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 "nipple"?
From earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" . 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 “nipple”

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

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