brandy

/ˈbɹændi/

//ˈbɹændi// noun

"brandy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“brandy” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,707 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,707
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

brandy vs bray
67% similar
brandy vs brody
67% similar
brandy vs Bundy
50% similar

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

Key facts for brandy
PropertyValue
Headwordbrandy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɹændi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,707
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “brandy” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for brandy is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɹændi/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,707 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for brandy, with forms such as "barndy", "bbrandy", and "bradny". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bray", "brody", "Bundy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Shortened form of brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn (“burnt wine”). Compare German Brantewein, Branntwein, Danish brændevin. The correct English form is brandy, spelled B-R-A-N-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.
  2. 2
    Any variety of such liquor.
  3. 3
    A serving of such liquor.

Etymology

Shortened form of brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn (“burnt wine”). Compare German Brantewein, Branntwein, Danish brændevin.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: barndy,bbrandy,bradny,branddy,brandyy,branndy,branyd,brnady,brrandy,rbandy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

barndy2bbrandy1bradny2branddy1brandyy1branndy1branyd2brnady2
Edit distance from "brandy"

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 "brandy"?
"brandy" is spelled B-R-A-N-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹændi/.
What does "brandy" mean?
As a noun, "brandy" means: An alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.
What words are commonly confused with "brandy"?
"brandy" is commonly confused with "bray", "brody", "Bundy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "brandy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "brandy" is /ˈbɹændi/. 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 "brandy"?
Shortened form of brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn (“burnt wine”). Compare German Brantewein, Branntwein, Danish brændevin. 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.

Using “brandy”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-R-A-N-D-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɹændi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bray” - see the side-by-side comparison. brandy vs bray
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list