nodule

/ˈnɒdjuːl/

//ˈnɒdjuːl// noun

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

The verdict

“nodule” is uncommon English (frequency #66,138 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,138
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rounded mass or irregular shape; a small knot or lump.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nodule · nodule · English

nodule · rank #66,138 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,138
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nolte

Nearest frequency peer: Nolte (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “nodule”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “nodule” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for nodule
PropertyValue
Headwordnodule
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɒdjuːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,138
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nodule” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).nodulefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Nolte” (#66,139), “niner” (#66,136), “nonbinary” (#66,140). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nodule” is #66,138. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nodule is uncommon English at frequency #66,138 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnɒdjuːl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A rounded mass or irregular shape; a small knot or lump.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for nodule, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin nōdulus (“small knot”), from nōdus (“knot”). Doublet of nodulus. The correct English form is nodule, spelled N-O-D-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rounded mass or irregular shape; a small knot or lump.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how nodule appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Biotics manipulate mass effect fields using dozens of element zero nodules within their nervous system that react to electric stimuli from the brain. Amplifiers allow biotics to synchronize the nodules so they can form fields large and strong enough for practical use.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin nōdulus (“small knot”), from nōdus (“knot”). Doublet of nodulus.

This word in other languages

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 "nodule"?
"nodule" is spelled N-O-D-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɒdjuːl/.
What does "nodule" mean?
As a noun, "nodule" means: A rounded mass or irregular shape; a small knot or lump.
How do you pronounce "nodule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nodule" is /ˈnɒdjuːl/. 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 "nodule"?
Borrowed from Latin nōdulus (“small knot”), from nōdus (“knot”). Doublet of nodulus. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "nodule", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list