Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nitwit

/ˈnɪtwɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English

Syllables
nitwit
IPA
/ˈnɪtwɪt/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A scatterbrained or stupid person.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

First attested in the 1910s in the US Northeast. Likely from German nit, dialect form of nichts (“nothing”), or Yiddish ניט (nit), dialect form of נישט (nisht, “no”), although some dictionaries give the alternative etymology nit (“louse egg; something very small”) + wit.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈnɪtwɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

nitwits (plural)

Derived Forms

nitwittery nitwittish

Synonyms

dimwit half-wit doofus

Questions

How do you pronounce nitwit?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪtwɪt/.
What does nitwit mean?
A scatterbrained or stupid person.
Where does nitwit come from?
First attested in the 1910s in the US Northeast. Likely from German nit, dialect form of nichts (“nothing”), or Yiddish ניט (nit), dialect form of נישט (nisht, “no”), although some dictionaries give the alternative etymology nit (“louse egg; something very small”) + wit.

How to pronounce nitwit

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “nitwit”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈnɪtwɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “nitwit”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “nitwit” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.