# delay vs deli

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### delay
*noun · IPA /dɪˈleɪ/ · frequency rank #3,618*
A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.

### deli
*noun · IPA /ˈdɛli/ · frequency rank #18,290*
A shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-02.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-deli