# billy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɪli/ · frequency rank #4,061

## Definitions
1. A fellow, companion, comrade, mate; partner, brother.
2. A good friend.
3. A billy goat.
4. A silk handkerchief.

## Etymology
Of obscure origin. Perhaps a variant of bully (“companion, mate, comrade”). Compare Scots billie (“a comrade; companion”). Compare also Middle Low German billig (“equitable, reasonable, lawful, fitting, according to natural law, just”).

## Easily confused with
- **bly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bly)
- **bull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bull)
- **bulls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bulls)
- **bully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bully)
- **bulky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bulky)
- **brill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-brill)
- **burly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-burly)
- **bitty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bitty)
- **Bixby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-bixby)
- **birdy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-birdy)
- **boldly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/billy-vs-boldly)
- **bill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bill-vs-billy)
- **ball** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ball-vs-billy)
- **bell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bell-vs-billy)
- **bile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bile-vs-billy)
- **Biel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biel-vs-billy)
- **bible** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bible-vs-billy)
- **balls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/balls-vs-billy)
- **bills** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bills-vs-billy)
- **badly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-billy)

## Common misspellings (6)
`bbilly`, `billyy`, `bily`, `bilyl`, `blily`, `iblly`

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