belay
/bɪˈleɪ/verb, noun
belay is spelled B-E-L-A-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, belay means “To make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in belay?
| Letters | 5: B-E-L-A-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 57,423rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is belay?
Belay appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce belay?
- US /bɪˈleɪ/
- UK /ˈbiːleɪ/
- UK /bɪˈleɪ/
As a noun (“The securing of a rope to a rock or other sturdy object”): /ˈbiːleɪ/.
As a verb: /bɪˈleɪ/.
Belay has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-belay1.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-belay2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with belay?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as belay from its last stressed vowel (/eɪ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of belay
- belays present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- belaying participle, present
- belayed participle, past
- belaid participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does belay mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat.
- 2
To handle a climbing rope to prevent (a climber) from falling to the ground.
He would need an experienced partner to belay him on the difficult climbs.
- 3
To lay aside; to stop; to cancel.
Belay that order!
- 4
The general command to stop or cease.
- 5
obsoleteTo surround; to environ; to enclose.
- 6
obsoleteTo overlay; to adorn.
- 7
obsoleteTo besiege; invest; surround.
- 8
obsoleteTo lie in wait for in order to attack; block up or obstruct.
- 9
simple past of belie (“encompass”)
noun
- 1
The securing of a rope to a rock or other sturdy object.
- 2
The object to which a rope is secured.
- 3
A location at which a climber stops and builds an anchor with which to secure their partner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Belay in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | amarrar, anclar , asegurar , cancelar, anular , amarre de seguridad |
| French | assurer |
| German | sichern , beenden |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does belay come from?
From Middle English beleggen, bileggen, from Old English beleċġan (“to cover, invest, surround, afflict, attribute to, charge with, accuse”), From Proto-West Germanic *bilaggjan, equivalent to be- (“about, around”) + lay. Cognate with Dutch beleggen (“to cover, overlay, belay”), German belegen (“to cover, occupy, belay”), Swedish belägga (“to pave”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).