assay

/ˈæseɪ/

//ˈæseɪ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"assay" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“assay” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,038 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,038
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Trial, attempt.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

assay vs away
60% similar
assay vs Asta
40% similar
assay vs asset
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for assay
PropertyValue
Headwordassay
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæseɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,038
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “assay” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). assay lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for assay is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæseɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,038 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for assay, with forms such as "asasy", "asay", and "assayy". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "away", "Asta", "asset", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English assay (noun) and assayen (verb), from Anglo-Norman assai (noun) and Anglo-Norman assaier (verb), from Old French essai. Doublet of essay. The correct English form is assay, spelled A-S-S-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Trial, attempt.
  2. 2
    Examination and determination; test.
  3. 3
    The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
  4. 4
    Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
  5. 5
    Tested purity or value.
  6. 6
    The act or process of ascertaining the proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy; especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or silver in bullion or coin.
  7. 7
    The alloy or metal to be assayed.

Etymology

From Middle English assay (noun) and assayen (verb), from Anglo-Norman assai (noun) and Anglo-Norman assaier (verb), from Old French essai. Doublet of essay.

This word in other languages

ensayo(Español)essai(Français)Versuch(Deutsch)ensaio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asasy,asay,assayy,assya,sasay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of assay - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

asasy2asay1assayy1assya2sasay2
Edit distance from "assay"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "assay"?
"assay" is spelled A-S-S-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæseɪ/.
What does "assay" mean?
As a noun, "assay" means: Trial, attempt.
What words are commonly confused with "assay"?
"assay" is commonly confused with "away", "Asta", "asset". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "assay"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "assay" is /ˈæseɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "assay"?
From Middle English assay (noun) and assayen (verb), from Anglo-Norman assai (noun) and Anglo-Norman assaier (verb), from Old French essai. Doublet of essay. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “assay”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-S-S-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæseɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “away” - see the side-by-side comparison. assay vs away
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list