well-nigh
/ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/
"well-nigh" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“well-nigh” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Almost, nearly.
Corpus desk
Index EN-well-nigh · well-nigh · English
well-nigh · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "W" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | well-nigh |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “well-nigh” in English
Rare enough to double-check
well-nigh is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Almost, nearly.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for well-nigh in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wel-neigh (“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”) [and other forms], from Old English wel nēah, wel nēh, from wel (“well”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + nēah, nēh (“close… The correct English form is well-nigh, spelled W-E-L-L---N-I-G-H.
Definition
- 1Almost, nearly.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how well-nigh appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The ſame ſo ſore annoyed has the Knight, / That welnigh choked with the deadly ſtinke, / His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.
The household cock had given his first summons, and the night was well nigh spent.
Etymology
From Middle English wel-neigh (“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”) [and other forms], from Old English wel nēah, wel nēh, from wel (“well”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + nēah, nēh (“close, near”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to attain, reach”)). Synchronically a univerbation of well (“completely, fully; to a significant degree”) + nigh (“close by, near”).
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.