# tabby vs tardy

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tabby
*noun · IPA /ˈtæb.i/ · frequency rank #37,725*
A kind of waved silk, usually called watered silk, manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The watering is given to it by calendering.

### tardy
*adjective · IPA /ˈtɑːdi/ · frequency rank #42,446*
Late; overdue or delayed.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tabby-vs-tardy