nieve

[ˈnjeβ̞e]

/[ˈnjeβ̞e]/ noun

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

The verdict

“nieve” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #3,344 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,344
frequency rank, Spanish
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Precipitación atmosférica constituida por hielo cristalizado.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

nieve vs nine
60% similar
nieve vs nuevo
60% similar
nieve vs nueva
60% similar

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

Key facts for nieve
PropertyValue
Headwordnieve
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈnjeβ̞e]
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,344
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nieve” sits in Spanish 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). nieve 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 Spanish entry for nieve is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈnjeβ̞e]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,344 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for nieve, with forms such as "ineve", "neive", and "niebe". 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. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "nine", "nuevo", "nueva", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is nieve, spelled N-I-E-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Precipitación atmosférica constituida por hielo cristalizado.
  2. 2
    Hielo cristalizado en su mayor parte con forma de estrellas hexagonales, ramificadas con características fractales, pero frecuentemente mezcladas con simples cristales. Estos cristales se aglomeran dando lugar a los copos de nieve.
  3. 3
    Manto blanco de estos cristales de hielo, que cubre las superficies bajo el efecto de una nevada.
  4. 4
    Época del año en la que nieva mucho.
  5. 5
    Tipo de helado preparado a base de agua congelada y sabor artificial.
  6. 6
    Cocaína.
  7. 7
    Color muy blanco.
  8. 8
    En un aparato de televisión o en algún receptor análogo, imagen que recuerda a la nieve que cae, por efecto de una interferencia electromagnética.

Synonyms

nevadaheladosorbetealborampoblancuraestática

This word in other languages

snow(English)neige(Français)Schnee(Deutsch)neve(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ineve,neive,niebe,nieev,nievve,nivee,nnieve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ineve2neive2niebe1nieev2nievve1nivee2nnieve1
Edit distance from "nieve"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nieve"?
"nieve" is spelled N-I-E-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈnjeβ̞e].
What does "nieve" mean?
As a noun, "nieve" means: Precipitación atmosférica constituida por hielo cristalizado.
What words are commonly confused with "nieve"?
"nieve" is commonly confused with "nine", "nuevo", "nueva". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "nieve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nieve" is [ˈnjeβ̞e]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nieve" come from?
"nieve" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “nieve”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is N-I-E-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈnjeβ̞e] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “nine” - see the side-by-side comparison. nieve vs nine
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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