convoy

/ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/

//ˈkɒn.vɔɪ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“convoy” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,006. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,006
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One or more merchant ships sailing in company to the same general destination under the protection of naval vessels.

Corpus desk

Index EN-convoy · convoy · English

convoy · rank #11,006 · 9 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,006
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cork

Nearest frequency peer: cork (+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 “convoy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “convoy” 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).

convoy vs covey
67% similar
convoy vs cowboy
67% similar
convoy vs Conway
50% similar

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

Key facts for convoy
PropertyValue
Headwordconvoy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,006
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “convoy”

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).convoylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cork” (#11,007), “continuation” (#11,004), “cosmetic” (#11,008). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “convoy” is #11,006. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around convoy (IPA /ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,006 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for convoy, with forms such as "cconvoy", "cnovoy", and "connvoy". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "covey", "cowboy", "Conway", 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, from Old French convoier, another form of conveier, from Vulgar Latin *convio (compare Medieval Latin convio (“to accompany on the way”)), from Latin con- (“together”) + via (“way”). The correct English form is convoy, spelled C-O-N-V-O-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    One or more merchant ships sailing in company to the same general destination under the protection of naval vessels.
  2. 2
    A group of vehicles travelling together for safety, especially one with an escort.
  3. 3
    The act of convoying; protection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. 'Cause we got a great big convoy Rockin' through the night. Yeah, we got a great big convoy Ain't she a beautiful sight? Come on and join our convoy Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way. We gonna roll this truckin' convoy 'Cross the USA.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French convoier, another form of conveier, from Vulgar Latin *convio (compare Medieval Latin convio (“to accompany on the way”)), from Latin con- (“together”) + via (“way”).

This word in other languages

convoy(Español)convoi(Français)Konvoi(Deutsch)comboio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconvoy
  • cnovoy
  • connvoy
  • conovy
  • convoyy
  • convvoy
  • convyo
  • covnoy
  • ocnvoy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of convoy - 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.

cconvoy1cnovoy2connvoy1conovy2convoyy1convvoy1convyo2covnoy2
Edit distance from "convoy"

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 "convoy"?
"convoy" is spelled C-O-N-V-O-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/.
What does "convoy" mean?
As a noun, "convoy" means: One or more merchant ships sailing in company to the same general destination under the protection of naval vessels.
What words are commonly confused with "convoy"?
"convoy" is commonly confused with "covey", "cowboy", "Conway". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "convoy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "convoy" is /ˈkɒn.vɔɪ/. 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 "convoy"?
From Middle English, from Old French convoier, another form of conveier, from Vulgar Latin *convio (compare Medieval Latin convio (“to accompany on the way”)), from Latin con- (“together”) + via (“way”). 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 "convoy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Cyprus#11,010digest#11,018boiler#10,992barred#10,988

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

grilled9 variantshourly9 variantsIrving9 variantsstrive9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list