atray

/əˈtɹeɪ/

//əˈtɹeɪ// verb

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

The verdict

“atray” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To vex; trouble; frighten; torment; harass.

Corpus desk

Index EN-atray · atray · English

atray · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for atray
PropertyValue
Headwordatray
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈtɹeɪ/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “atray” in English

atrayranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

atray is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈtɹeɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To vex; trouble; frighten; torment; harass.".

Zero misspellings are on record for atray in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English atrayen, atreyen, atreȝen, equivalent to a- + tray (“to grieve, vex”). More at tray. The correct English form is atray, spelled A-T-R-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To vex; trouble; frighten; torment; harass.

Etymology

From Middle English atrayen, atreyen, atreȝen, equivalent to a- + tray (“to grieve, vex”). More at tray.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "atray"?
"atray" is spelled A-T-R-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɹeɪ/.
What does "atray" mean?
As a verb, "atray" means: To vex; trouble; frighten; torment; harass.
How do you pronounce "atray"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "atray" is /əˈtɹeɪ/. 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 "atray"?
From Middle English atrayen, atreyen, atreȝen, equivalent to a- + tray (“to grieve, vex”). More at tray. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list