buttery

/ˈbʌtəɹi/

//ˈbʌtəɹi// adj

"buttery" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“buttery” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,304 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#32,304
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Made with or tasting of butter.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

buttery vs butte
71% similar
buttery vs better
71% similar
buttery vs butter
86% similar

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

Key facts for buttery
PropertyValue
Headwordbuttery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbʌtəɹi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,304
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “buttery” 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). buttery 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 buttery is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌtəɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,304 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for buttery, with forms such as "bbuttery", "btutery", and "butery". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "butte", "better", "butter", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English buttry, equivalent to butter + -y. Piecewise doublet of butyric, butter ultimately being from Latin būtȳrum and -y being a doublet of -ic. The correct English form is buttery, spelled B-U-T-T-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Made with or tasting of butter.
  2. 2
    Resembling butter in some way, such as yellow color or smooth texture.
  3. 3
    Marked by insincere flattery; obsequious.
  4. 4
    Ellipsis of buttery smooth.

Etymology

From Middle English buttry, equivalent to butter + -y. Piecewise doublet of butyric, butter ultimately being from Latin būtȳrum and -y being a doublet of -ic.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbuttery,btutery,butery,butetry,butterry,butteryy,butteyr,buttrey,ubttery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of buttery - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbuttery1btutery2butery1butetry2butterry1butteryy1butteyr2buttrey2
Edit distance from "buttery"

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 "buttery"?
"buttery" is spelled B-U-T-T-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌtəɹi/.
What does "buttery" mean?
As an adjective, "buttery" means: Made with or tasting of butter.
What words are commonly confused with "buttery"?
"buttery" is commonly confused with "butte", "better", "butter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "buttery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buttery" is /ˈbʌtəɹi/. 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 "buttery"?
From Middle English buttry, equivalent to butter + -y. Piecewise doublet of butyric, butter ultimately being from Latin būtȳrum and -y being a doublet of -ic. 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 “buttery”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-U-T-T-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbʌtəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “butte” - see the side-by-side comparison. buttery vs butte
  • 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