nitpicking
noun
nitpicking is spelled N-I-T-P-I-C-K-I-N-G: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 80,453rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, nitpicking means “The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of nitpicking is nitpickings.
How many letters and syllables are in nitpicking?
| Letters | 10: N-I-T-P-I-C-K-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 7 million words; the 80,453rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is nitpicking?
Nitpicking appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 80,453rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce nitpicking?
Nitpicking has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with nitpicking
Also written: nit-picking (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of nitpicking
- nitpickings plural
- nit-picking
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nitpicking mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair.
- 2
A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder.
"Of all life's pleasures, I like nitpicking the best." -- Wally in Dilbert
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Nitpicking in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pinaillerie, pinaillage, ergotage, chicane, pointilleux, pédanterie |
| German | Pedanterie, Erbsenzählerei |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does nitpicking come from?
From nit + picking.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).