nod

/nɒd/

//nɒd// verb

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

"nod" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nod” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,582 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,582
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nod vs NZ
0% similar
nod vs NT
0% similar
nod vs NP
0% similar

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

Key facts for nod
PropertyValue
Headwordnod
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/nɒd/
Letters3
Frequency rank#10,582
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nod” 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). nod 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 nod is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɒd/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,582 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for nod, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NZ", "NT", "NP", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English nodden, probably from an unrecorded Old English *hnodian (“to nod, shake the head”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnodōn, from Proto-Germanic *hnudōną (“to beat, rivet, pound, push”), from Proto-Indo-European *kendʰ-, from *ken- (“to scratc… The correct English form is nod, spelled N-O-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement.
  2. 2
    To briefly incline the head downwards as a cursory greeting.
  3. 3
    To sway, move up and down.
  4. 4
    To gradually fall asleep.
  5. 5
    To signify by a nod.
  6. 6
    To make a mistake by being temporarily inattentive or tired
  7. 7
    To head; to strike the ball with one's head.
  8. 8
    To allude to something.
  9. 9
    To fall asleep while under the influence of opiates.

Etymology

From Middle English nodden, probably from an unrecorded Old English *hnodian (“to nod, shake the head”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnodōn, from Proto-Germanic *hnudōną (“to beat, rivet, pound, push”), from Proto-Indo-European *kendʰ-, from *ken- (“to scratch, scrape, rub”). Compare Old High German hnotōn (“to shake”), hnutten (“to shake, rattle, vibrate”) (> modern dialectal German notteln, nütteln (“to rock, move back and forth”)), Faroese njóða (“to clench a nail”), Icelandic hnjóða (“to rivet, clinch”), Faroese noða (“to double by bending”), Icelandic hnoða (“to clinch, rivet”).

This word in other languages

cabecear(Español)dodeliner(Français)nicken(Deutsch)assentir(Português)

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 "nod"?
"nod" is spelled N-O-D. The IPA pronunciation is /nɒd/.
What does "nod" mean?
As a verb, "nod" means: To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement.
What words are commonly confused with "nod"?
"nod" is commonly confused with "NZ", "NT", "NP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nod"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nod" is /nɒd/. 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 "nod"?
From Middle English nodden, probably from an unrecorded Old English *hnodian (“to nod, shake the head”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnodōn, from Proto-Germanic *hnudōną (“to beat, rivet, pound, push”), from Proto-Indo-European *kendʰ-, from *ken- (... 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 “nod”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-O-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nɒd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “NZ” - see the side-by-side comparison. nod vs NZ
  • 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