nope

/nəʊp/

//nəʊp// particle

"nope" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nope” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,617. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,617
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - No.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nope · nope · English

nope · rank #4,617 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,617
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH mutual

Nearest frequency peer: mutual (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “nope”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “nope” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nope vs NP
0% similar
nope vs not
50% similar
nope vs now
50% similar

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

Key facts for nope
PropertyValue
Headwordnope
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechParticle
IPA/nəʊp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,617
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nope” 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). nope lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around nope (IPA /nəʊp/), aparticle. Corpus frequency is #4,617 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Dominant gloss: "No.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for nope, with forms such as "nnope", "noep", and "noppe". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NP", "not", "now", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Representing no pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end. Luick instead claims it represents a realisation of no with final [ʔ], with a purported reduction of /p/ to [ʔ] in before syllabic liquids providing a model for the spelling of [ʔ] as -pe,… The correct English form is nope, spelled N-O-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    No.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "Is my son here, Clarence?" asked Roger Oakley. "Nope. The whistle ain't blowed yet."
  2. "No," from Tom, ending the word with so decided a pressure of the lips that it sounded like "nope."

Etymology

Representing no pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end. Luick instead claims it represents a realisation of no with final [ʔ], with a purported reduction of /p/ to [ʔ] in before syllabic liquids providing a model for the spelling of [ʔ] as -pe, but it is more parsimonious to assume that the -pe directly represents attested realisations with [p̚]. Compare yep, welp, ope, and yup.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nnope
  • noep
  • noppe
  • npoe
  • onpe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nope - 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.

nnope1noep2noppe1npoe2onpe2
Edit distance from "nope"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nope"?
"nope" is spelled N-O-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /nəʊp/.
What does "nope" mean?
As a particle, "nope" means: No.
What words are commonly confused with "nope"?
"nope" is commonly confused with "NP", "not", "now". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nope"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nope" is /nəʊp/. 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 "nope"?
Representing no pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end. Luick instead claims it represents a realisation of no with final [ʔ], with a purported reduction of /p/ to [ʔ] in before syllabic liquids providing a model for the spelling of [... 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 "nope", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "nope". Here's where to go from here.

  • "nope" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "NP". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,617 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "N" letter cohort. N–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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