# ay

> English word · Interjection · IPA /aɪ/ · frequency rank #12,729

## Definitions
1. Ah! alas! Expressing anger, alarm, frustration, pain, etc.
2. Expressing earnestness, surprise, wonder, etc.
3. Used in ay, ay.

## Etymology
From Middle English ei, ej, ey, eye, ultimately imitative of the natural utterance, although probably also influenced by Anglo-Norman and Old French ahi, Old French haï, and Middle French aï, aïe, ay.

## Easily confused with
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-az)
- **aye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-aye)
- **ayr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-ayr)
- **Ayn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-ayn)
- **aya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-aya)
- **Ayer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-ayer)
- **i** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-i)
- **eye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ay-vs-eye)
- **A** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/a-vs-ay)
- **as** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/as-vs-ay)
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/at-vs-ay)
- **an** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/an-vs-ay)
- **AM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/am-vs-ay)
- **AL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/al-vs-ay)
- **AD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ad-vs-ay)
- **ah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ah-vs-ay)
- **AP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ap-vs-ay)
- **AC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ac-vs-ay)
- **ai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ai-vs-ay)
- **aw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aw-vs-ay)

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