nowadays

/ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/

//ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz// adv

"nowadays" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nowadays” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,989 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#5,989
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - At the present time; in the current era.

Key facts for nowadays
PropertyValue
Headwordnowadays
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,989
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nowadays” 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). nowadays 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 nowadays is 8 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,989 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "At the present time; in the current era.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for nowadays, with forms such as "nnowadays", "noawdays", and "nowaadys". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From now + adays. The correct English form is nowadays, spelled N-O-W-A-D-A-Y-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    At the present time; in the current era.

Etymology

From now + adays.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nnowadays,noawdays,nowaadys,nowadasy,nowadayss,nowadayys,nowaddays,nowadyas,nowdaays,nowwadays,nwoadays,onwadays

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nowadays - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

nnowadays1noawdays2nowaadys2nowadasy2nowadayss1nowadayys1nowaddays1nowadyas2
Edit distance from "nowadays"

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 "nowadays"?
"nowadays" is spelled N-O-W-A-D-A-Y-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/.
What does "nowadays" mean?
As an adverb, "nowadays" means: At the present time; in the current era.
What are common misspellings of "nowadays"?
Common misspellings include "nnowadays", "noawdays", "nowaadys", "nowadasy", "nowadayss". The correct spelling is "nowadays".
How do you pronounce "nowadays"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nowadays" is /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/. 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 "nowadays"?
From now + adays. 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 “nowadays”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-O-W-A-D-A-Y-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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