copy

/ˈkɒpi/

//ˈkɒpi// noun

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

"copy" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“copy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,752. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,752
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.

Corpus desk

Index EN-copy · copy · English

copy · rank #1,752 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,752
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH concept

Nearest frequency peer: concept (-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 “copy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “copy” 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).

copy vs cp
50% similar
copy vs cup
50% similar
copy vs cry
50% similar

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

Key facts for copy
PropertyValue
Headwordcopy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒpi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,752
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “copy”

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).copylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “concept” (#1,751), “dear” (#1,753), “completed” (#1,750). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “copy” is #1,752. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around copy (IPA /ˈkɒpi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,752 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for copy, with forms such as "ccopy", "coppy", and "copyy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cp", "cup", "cry", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Middle English copy English copy From Middle English copy, copie, from Old French copie (“abundance, plenty; transcript, copy”), from Medieval Latin copia (“reproduction, transcript”), from Latin cōpia (“plenty, abundance”), from *coopia, fro… The correct English form is copy, spelled C-O-P-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.
  2. 2
    The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.
  3. 3
    An imitation, sometimes of inferior quality.
  4. 4
    The text (words, content) that is to be typeset or similarly prepared and published.
  5. 5
    The text (words, content) that is to be typeset or similarly prepared and published.
  6. 6
    The text (words, content) that is to be typeset or similarly prepared and published.
  7. 7
    A person employed to carry copy and run errands.
  8. 8
    A schoolwork pad or workbook.
  9. 9
    A particular instance of a book: a single printed impression or digital file representing it.
  10. 10
    A particular instance of an issue of a periodical (e.g., magazine, journal, bulletin): a single printed impression or digital file representing that issue; (metonynmically) the issue.
  11. 11
    Writing paper of a particular size: Synonym of bastard.
  12. 12
    That which is to be imitated, transcribed, or reproduced; a pattern, model, or example.
  13. 13
    An abundance or plenty of anything.
  14. 14
    copyhold; tenure; lease.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Please bring me at least 200 copies of this report. The photocopier is down the hall on the right.
  2. His new book is out. I have a signed copy. He'll send you a copy if you want one. He's giving free copies to his former colleagues who want one. The press run is 3000 copies, and he hopes to sell more press runs after this one.

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English copy English copy From Middle English copy, copie, from Old French copie (“abundance, plenty; transcript, copy”), from Medieval Latin copia (“reproduction, transcript”), from Latin cōpia (“plenty, abundance”), from *coopia, from co- (“together”) + ops (“wealth, riches”). More at opulent.

Synonyms

duplicatefacsimilefakeforgeryimagelikenessphonyreduplicationreplicareplicationreproductionshamsimulacrum

Antonyms

original

This word in other languages

copia(Español)copie(Français)Kopie(Deutsch)cópia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccopy
  • coppy
  • copyy
  • coyp
  • cpoy
  • ocpy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of copy - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccopy1coppy1copyy1coyp2cpoy2ocpy2
Edit distance from "copy"

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 "copy"?
"copy" is spelled C-O-P-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒpi/.
What does "copy" mean?
As a noun, "copy" means: The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.
What words are commonly confused with "copy"?
"copy" is commonly confused with "cp", "cup", "cry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "copy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "copy" is /ˈkɒpi/. 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 "copy"?
Etymology tree Middle English copy English copy From Middle English copy, copie, from Old French copie (“abundance, plenty; transcript, copy”), from Medieval Latin copia (“reproduction, transcript”), from Latin cōpia (“plenty, abundance”), from *c... 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 "copy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dear#1,753dogs#1,754host#1,758wood#1,743

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

tells6 variantsshut6 variantsalive6 variantsgift6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list