carry
/ˈkæɹ.i/verb, noun
carry is spelled C-A-R-R-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 78 times per million words in written English, the 1,369th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, carry means “To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in carry?
| Letters | 5: C-A-R-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 78 times per million words; the 1,369th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 carry?
Carry appears 78 times per million words in written English, the 1,369th 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 carry?
- UK /ˈkæɹ.i/
- British /ˈkaɹ.ɪj/
- /ˈkæɹ.i/
Carry has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-ne-carry.ogg, En-us-carry.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with carry?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as carry from its last stressed vowel (/æɹi/, British pronunciation):
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 carry
- carries present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- carrying participle, present
- carried participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does carry mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To lift (something) and take it to another place; to transport (something) by lifting.
- 2
To notionally transfer from one place (such as a country, book, or column) to another.
to carry the war from Greece into Asia
- 3
To convey by extension or continuance; to extend.
The builders are going to carry the chimney through the roof.
- 4
archaicTo move; to convey using force
- 5
To lead or guide.
- 6
To stock or supply (something); to have in store.
The corner drugstore doesn’t carry his favorite brand of aspirin.
- 7
To adopt (something); take (something) over.
I think I can carry Smith’s work while she is out.
- 8
To adopt or resolve on, especially in a deliberative assembly
The court carries that motion.
noun
- 1
A manner of transporting or lifting something; the grip or position in which something is carried.
Adjust your carry from time to time so that you don’t tire too quickly.
- 2
A tract of land over which boats or goods are carried between two bodies of navigable water; a portage.
- 3
The bit or digit that is carried in an addition operation.
- 4
The benefit or cost of owning an asset over time.
The carry on this trade is 25 basis points per annum.
- 5
The distance travelled by the ball when struck, until it hits the ground.
- 6
Carried interest.
- 7
UKThe sky; cloud-drift.
- 8
slangSomething or someone regarded as disproportionately responsible for the success of a playthrough, match, round, etc.
Near-synonym: MVP
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Carry in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | porter , retenir |
| German | tragen , führen , übernehmen |
| Portuguese | carregar, levar |
| Spanish | llevar, cargar, acarrear, carrear , llevar a cabo |
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 carry come from?
From Middle English carien, from Anglo-Norman carier (modern French charrier); from a derivative of Latin carrus (“four-wheeled baggage wagon”), ultimately of Gaulish origin. Compare also Middle English cairen (“to go, bring carry”), whence Modern English cair, with which it was confused.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).