# allergy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæl.əɹ.d͡ʒi/ · frequency rank #12,905

## Definitions
1. A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma; any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance.
2. A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma; any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance.
3. An antipathy, as toward a person or activity.

## Etymology
Borrowed from German Allergie. Coined by Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 from Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work, activity”), on the model of Energie.

## Easily confused with
- **alley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allergy-vs-alley)
- **allege** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allege-vs-allergy)
- **allergic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allergic-vs-allergy)
- **allergen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/allergen-vs-allergy)

## Common misspellings (9)
`alelrgy`, `alergy`, `allegry`, `allerggy`, `allergyy`, `allerrgy`, `alleryg`, `allregy`, `lalergy`

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