Nigga is a colloquial term used in African American Vernacular English that began as an eye dialect form of the word nigger , an ethnic slur against black people . In some dialects of English, the word is pronounced the same as nigger , including where common speech is non-rhotic . In practice, its use and meaning are heavily dependent on context. Presently, the word nigga is used more liberally among younger members of all races and ethnicities in the United States. In addition to African Americans , other ethnic groups have adopted the term as part of their vernacular. Non-rhotic English-speakers, such as speakers of many British dialects and African American Vernacular English , pronounce "nigger" and "nigga" identically and do not distinguish between ...