# assay

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæseɪ/ · frequency rank #20,038

## Definitions
1. Trial, attempt.
2. Examination and determination; test.
3. The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
4. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
5. Tested purity or value.
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. 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.

## Easily confused with
- **away** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-away)
- **Asta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-asta)
- **asset** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-asset)
- **asses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-asses)
- **assed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-assed)
- **astray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assay-vs-astray)
- **ass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ass-vs-assay)
- **ASA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asa-vs-assay)
- **Asia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asia-vs-assay)
- **ASAP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asap-vs-assay)
- **Ajay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ajay-vs-assay)
- **Asha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asha-vs-assay)
- **Asad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asad-vs-assay)
- **ashy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ashy-vs-assay)
- **Asian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asian-vs-assay)
- **array** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/array-vs-assay)
- **Assad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assad-vs-assay)
- **ASEAN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/asean-vs-assay)
- **Assam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assam-vs-assay)
- **Ashby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ashby-vs-assay)

## Common misspellings (5)
`asasy`, `asay`, `assayy`, `assya`, `sasay`

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