nirvana
/nɪəˈvɑːnə/
"nirvana" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“nirvana” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,909 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #17,909
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Complete cessation of dukkha; a blissful state attained through realization of sunyata; enlightened experience.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | nirvana |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /nɪəˈvɑːnə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #17,909 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “nirvana” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for nirvana is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɪəˈvɑːnə/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,909 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for nirvana, with forms such as "inrvana", "niravna", and "nirrvana". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Sanskrit निर्वाण (nirvāṇa, “blown or put out, extinguished”), from निस् (nis, “out”) + वा (vā, “to blow”), the second part cognate with Russian ве́тер (véter, “wind”), weather, vent and wind. The correct English form is nirvana, spelled N-I-R-V-A-N-A.
Definition
- 1Complete cessation of dukkha; a blissful state attained through realization of sunyata; enlightened experience.
- 2State of paradise; heightened or great pleasure or peace; a state of universal perfection and bliss.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit निर्वाण (nirvāṇa, “blown or put out, extinguished”), from निस् (nis, “out”) + वा (vā, “to blow”), the second part cognate with Russian ве́тер (véter, “wind”), weather, vent and wind.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: inrvana,niravna,nirrvana,nirvaan,nirvanna,nirvnaa,nirvvana,nivrana,nnirvana,nrivana
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nirvana - 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.
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 "nirvana"?
What does "nirvana" mean?
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What is the origin of the word "nirvana"?
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Using “nirvana”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-I-R-V-A-N-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /nɪəˈvɑːnə/ (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.