nuisance

/ˈnjuː.səns/

//ˈnjuː.səns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“nuisance” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,011. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,011
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A minor annoyance or inconvenience.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nuisance · nuisance · English

nuisance · rank #15,011 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #15,011
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH obedience

Nearest frequency peer: obedience (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “nuisance”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “nuisance” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

nuisance vs nuance
75% similar

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

Key facts for nuisance
PropertyValue
Headwordnuisance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnjuː.səns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,011
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “nuisance”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).nuisancelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “obedience” (#15,012), “Nicky” (#15,009), “objected” (#15,013). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nuisance” is #15,011. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around nuisance (IPA /ˈnjuː.səns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,011 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for nuisance, with forms such as "niusance", "nnuisance", and "nuiasnce". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "nuance", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English noysaunce, from Anglo-Norman nusaunce, nussance and Old French nuisance, from nuisir (“to harm”), from Latin nocēre. Doublet of nocence and nocency. The correct English form is nuisance, spelled N-U-I-S-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A minor annoyance or inconvenience.
  2. 2
    A person or thing causing annoyance or inconvenience.
  3. 3
    Anything harmful or offensive to the community or to a member of it, for which a legal remedy exists.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The neighbor's dog barking throughout the night is a right nuisance - I'm going to complain.
  2. What a nuisance to have to go now!

Etymology

From Middle English noysaunce, from Anglo-Norman nusaunce, nussance and Old French nuisance, from nuisir (“to harm”), from Latin nocēre. Doublet of nocence and nocency.

Synonyms

annoyanceinconvenienceoffensebotherobstaclepestfaffgrievancehassleirritationnuisancepalaverpeeveplaguetroublevexation

Antonyms

enjoyment

This word in other languages

molestia(Español)embêtement(Français)Ärgernis(Deutsch)incômodo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • niusance
  • nnuisance
  • nuiasnce
  • nuisacne
  • nuisancce
  • nuisanec
  • nuisannce
  • nuisence
  • nuisnace
  • nuissance
  • nusiance
  • unisance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of nuisance - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

niusance2nnuisance1nuiasnce2nuisacne2nuisancce1nuisanec2nuisannce1nuisence1
Edit distance from "nuisance"

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 "nuisance"?
"nuisance" is spelled N-U-I-S-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnjuː.səns/.
What does "nuisance" mean?
As a noun, "nuisance" means: A minor annoyance or inconvenience.
What words are commonly confused with "nuisance"?
"nuisance" is commonly confused with "nuance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nuisance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nuisance" is /ˈnjuː.səns/. 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 "nuisance"?
From Middle English noysaunce, from Anglo-Norman nusaunce, nussance and Old French nuisance, from nuisir (“to harm”), from Latin nocēre. Doublet of nocence and nocency. 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 "nuisance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

objected#15,013organise#15,015multiply#15,006overload#15,018

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Lithuania12 variantsscouting12 variantshangover12 variantsembarked12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list