bevy

/ˈbɛvi/

//ˈbɛvi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“bevy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,788. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,788
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A group of animals, particularly quail.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bevy · bevy · English

bevy · rank #49,788 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,788
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bestie

Nearest frequency peer: bestie (-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 “bevy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “bevy” 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).

bevy vs by
50% similar
bevy vs buy
50% similar
bevy vs boy
50% similar

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

Key facts for bevy
PropertyValue
Headwordbevy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɛvi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#49,788
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bevy”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).bevylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “bestie” (#49,787), “BFI” (#49,789), “BFS” (#49,790). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bevy” is #49,788. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around bevy (IPA /ˈbɛvi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,788 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for bevy, with forms such as "bbevy", "bevvy", and "bevyy". 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, "by", "buy", "boy", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bevey, of uncertain origin, possibly Anglo-Norman. Also modern Scouse variant spelling of bevvy. The correct English form is bevy, spelled B-E-V-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A group of animals, particularly quail.
  2. 2
    A small group of people, especially girls or women.
  3. 3
    A large group or collection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how bevy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The pond was another favourite place to visit. Moorhens strutted from the neighbouring bushes, and a bevy of Muscovy ducks, a study in black, white and red, waddled from the farmyard hard by to enjoy a refreshing splash.
  2. In the midſt of all this buſtle, I was ſtruck with the appearance of a large bevy of beauties and women of the firſt fashion, who with all the perfect confidence of good breeding, inſhrined themſelves in the ſeveral temples dedicated to the Cyprian Venus[.]

Etymology

From Middle English bevey, of uncertain origin, possibly Anglo-Norman. Also modern Scouse variant spelling of bevvy.

This word in other languages

bandada(Español)vol(Français)Schwarm(Deutsch)bando(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbevy
  • bevvy
  • bevyy
  • beyv
  • bvey
  • ebvy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bevy - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbevy1bevvy1bevyy1beyv2bvey2ebvy2
Edit distance from "bevy"

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 "bevy"?
"bevy" is spelled B-E-V-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛvi/.
What does "bevy" mean?
As a noun, "bevy" means: A group of animals, particularly quail.
What words are commonly confused with "bevy"?
"bevy" is commonly confused with "by", "buy", "boy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bevy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bevy" is /ˈbɛvi/. 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 "bevy"?
From Middle English bevey, of uncertain origin, possibly Anglo-Norman. Also modern Scouse variant spelling of bevvy. 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 "bevy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Asta#49,767algo#49,758wove#49,728wawa#49,718

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Willey6 variantscubby6 variantsDalia6 variantswaifu6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list