nuc

/njuːk/

//njuːk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nuc” is uncommon English (frequency #64,578 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,578
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A nucleus colony; a small bee colony created from a larger colony.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nuc · nuc · English

nuc · rank #64,578 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,578
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nuneaton

Nearest frequency peer: Nuneaton (+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 “nuc”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for nuc
PropertyValue
Headwordnuc
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/njuːk/
Letters3
Frequency rank#64,578
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nuc” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).nucfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Nuneaton” (#64,579), “Norsk” (#64,574), “Norcal” (#64,573). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nuc” is #64,578. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nuc is uncommon English at frequency #64,578 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /njuːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A nucleus colony; a small bee colony created from a larger colony.".

nuc doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Shortening. The correct English form is nuc, spelled N-U-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A nucleus colony; a small bee colony created from a larger colony.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. I have to take brood from established hives to set up nucs, as I did the previous week[…]

Etymology

Shortening.

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 "nuc"?
"nuc" is spelled N-U-C. The IPA pronunciation is /njuːk/.
What does "nuc" mean?
As a noun, "nuc" means: A nucleus colony; a small bee colony created from a larger colony.
How do you pronounce "nuc"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nuc" is /njuːk/. 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 "nuc"?
Shortening. 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 "nuc", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

PMT#64,616prn#64,633RFS#64,658lek#64,492

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list