awry

/əˈɹaɪ/

//əˈɹaɪ// adv

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

"awry" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“awry” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,449. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,449
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Obliquely, crookedly; askew.

Corpus desk

Index EN-awry · awry · English

awry · rank #31,449 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,449
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Barnaby

Nearest frequency peer: Barnaby (+1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “awry”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “awry” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

awry vs ay
50% similar
awry vs aww
50% similar
awry vs AWS
0% similar

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

Key facts for awry
PropertyValue
Headwordawry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈɹaɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#31,449
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “awry”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Barnaby” (#31,450), “audiovisual” (#31,447), “Barrymore” (#31,451). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “awry” is #31,449. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around awry (IPA /əˈɹaɪ/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #31,449 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for awry, with forms such as "arwy", "awrry", and "awryy". 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, "ay", "aww", "AWS", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English awry, awrie. By surface analysis, a- + wry. The correct English form is awry, spelled A-W-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Obliquely, crookedly; askew.
  2. 2
    Perversely, improperly.

Etymology

From Middle English awry, awrie. By surface analysis, a- + wry.

This word in other languages

oblicuamente(Español)de travers(Français)schief(Deutsch)torto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arwy
  • awrry
  • awryy
  • awwry
  • awyr

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of awry - 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.

arwy2awrry1awryy1awwry1awyr2
Edit distance from "awry"

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 "awry"?
"awry" is spelled A-W-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈɹaɪ/.
What does "awry" mean?
As an adverb, "awry" means: Obliquely, crookedly; askew.
What words are commonly confused with "awry"?
"awry" is commonly confused with "ay", "aww", "AWS". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "awry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "awry" is /əˈɹaɪ/. 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 "awry"?
From Middle English awry, awrie. By surface analysis, a- + wry. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "awry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bask#31,452Belo#31,455agra#31,428Zayn#31,420

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

assed5 variantsBobbi5 variantsyous5 variantsvide5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list