‘Neice’ or ‘Niece’: How to Spell ‘Niece’ Correctly

Is your brother’s daughter your ‘neice’ or your ‘niece’? Struggling with spelling the word correctly? We’ll go over the correct spelling in this article. Plus, you’ll learn how to use it in a sentence correctly.

Don’t feel like skimming for the answer? Here’s the short answer:

The correct way to spell the word is ‘niece.’ You would never spell it ‘neice.’ That’s ungrammatical and incorrect.

‘Neice’ vs. ‘Niece’ – What’s the Correct Spelling?

As you just learned, the correct spelling of the word is ‘niece’ and not ‘neice.’

How Do You Niece? Or Is It Neice?

So, if you want to remember the correct spelling of the word, remember the rule: ‘I’ after ‘e’ except after ‘c.’

It rhymes, so it should be pretty easy to memorize. Say it to yourself a few times to help you remember.

It’s the opposite of words like ‘weird’ in that the ‘e’ comes before the ‘I.’ This is what you’d call an exception to the rule. And there are a few of them.

Examples of Exceptions to This Rule

• Neighbor
• Weigh and weight
• Seize
• Height
• Science
• Albeit
• Forfeit

Definition and Meaning

You’ve learned the rule to remember how to spell the word. Now, let’s define the word.

The Merriam-Webster definition of the word is “a daughter of one’s brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.”

A Brief History

The word has Anglo-French, Latin, and Middle-English origins. In Middle English, it’s spelled nece (granddaughter, niece). In Anglo-French, it’s nece or niece. In Latin, it’s neptia from the word neptis.

Its first known use of the word was in the 14^th century with the same meaning.

What is the Plural of ‘Niece’?

The plural version of the word follows the standard rules for pluralizing English words.

That means you’d pluralize it by adding an ‘s.’

For example:

• Niece > Nieces

It follows the same example as words like:

• Boy > Boys
• Toy > Toys
• Forest > Forests
• Love > Loves
• Tomato > Tomatoes
• Sing > Sings
• Potato > Potatoes

Now that you know how to pluralize it let’s look at how to use it in a sentence properly in both forms.

How to Use it in a Sentence Correctly

Using the word ‘niece’ in a sentence in both forms can be done by using these examples.

Here’s how you’d use ‘niece’ in a sentence in singular form:

• I’m taking my niece to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this weekend.
• My sister’s daughter is my first-born niece.
• My niece loves playing in the fall leaves.

Now, let’s take a look at how you’d use the plural form in a sentence:

• These are my nieces, my brother’s three daughters.
• My twin nieces are going to kindergarten next year.
• I love spending time with my nieces because they’re like my sisters; we grew up together.

Final Thoughts on ‘Neice’ and ‘Niece’

To recap, the correct spelling of the word is ‘niece’ and not ‘neice.’

Remember, in this case, the rule ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ applies.

If you ever get stuck on this or other English words, you can always head back on over here and dig through our library of articles on confusing words and phrases.