Niche Has Two Accepted Pronunciations
A niche is a recess in a wall or a specialised role. English accepts both a French and an anglicised pronunciation.
A niche is a shallow recess in a wall, or a specialised position well suited to someone. Both pronunciations are standard: *neesh*, closer to the French, and *nitch*, the anglicised form, with British speakers favouring the first and Americans divided. Neither is an error. In ecology, a niche is not a place but a role: the full set of conditions and resources a species uses, which is why two species cannot occupy the same one indefinitely.
- A wall recess. *A statue in a niche.*
- A specialised role. *A market niche.*
- An ecological role. *An ecological niche.*
- Niche market — a small specialised market. *A niche market.*
- French — *niche*, a recess. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | niche | A deep niche. |
| Plural | niches | Two niches. |
| Adjective | niche | A niche interest. |
| Verb | niche | Niched into the wall. |
| French | nicher | To nest. |
- A statue stood in the niche.Architecture.
- The firm found a profitable niche.Business.
- An ecological niche is a role, not a place.Biology.
What an ecological niche means
- Not a location but the full set of conditions a species needs
- Includes food, temperature, timing, competitors and predators
- Competitive exclusion — two species cannot share one niche indefinitely
- Fundamental niche — what a species could occupy without competition
- Realised niche — what it actually occupies given competitors
French *niche*, a recess, from *nicher*, to nest, from Latin *nidus*, a nest.
How is niche pronounced?
Both neesh and nitch are standard. British speakers usually prefer neesh; American usage is divided.
Is an ecological niche a habitat?
No. A habitat is where a species lives; a niche is the role it plays and the full set of conditions it needs.