nard

\naʁ\

/\naʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“nard” is uncommon French (frequency #93,024 among 86,328 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#93,024
frequency rank, French
86,328
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nardus, genre de plantes herbacées aromatiques des prés de la famille des Poacées (ou graminées) qui comprend une unique espèce, le nard raide (Nardus stricta).

Key facts for nard
PropertyValue
Headwordnard
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\naʁ\
Letters4
Frequency rank#93,024
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nard” sits in French 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). nard lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nard is uncommon French at frequency #93,024 among 86,328 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \naʁ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

nard has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is nard, spelled N-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nardus, genre de plantes herbacées aromatiques des prés de la famille des Poacées (ou graminées) qui comprend une unique espèce, le nard raide (Nardus stricta).
  2. 2
    Nardostachys, genre de plantes herbacées de la famille des valérianacées comportant plusieurs espèces dont le très odoriférant Nardostachys jatamansi.
  3. 3
    Synonyme de lavande aspic.
  4. 4
    Huile ambrée parfumée que les anciens tiraient de certaines racines, en particulier de la valériane celtique.

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); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nard"?
"nard" is spelled N-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is \naʁ\.
What does "nard" mean?
As a noun, "nard" means: Nardus, genre de plantes herbacées aromatiques des prés de la famille des Poacées (ou graminées) qui comprend une unique espèce, le nard raide (Nardus stricta).
How do you pronounce "nard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nard" is \naʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "nard" come from?
"nard" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “nard”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is N-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \naʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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