# nocturnal

> English word · Adjective · IPA /nɒkˈtɜː(ɹ).nəl/ · frequency rank #21,299

## Definitions
1. Primarily active during the night.
2. Taking place at night, nightly.

## Etymology
From Middle French nocturnal, from Latin nocturnus (“nocturnal, nightly”), from Latin nox (“night”), from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”). Cognates include Ancient Greek νύξ (núx), Sanskrit नक्ति (nákti), Old English niht (English night) and Proto-Slavic *noťь.

## Easily confused with
- **nocturne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nocturnal-vs-nocturne)

## Common misspellings (14)
`ncoturnal`, `nnocturnal`, `noccturnal`, `noctrunal`, `noctturnal`, `noctunral`, `nocturanl`, `nocturnall`, `nocturnla`, `nocturnnal`, `nocturrnal`, `nocutrnal`, `notcurnal`, `oncturnal`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nocturnal