coy

/kɔɪ/

//kɔɪ// adj

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

"coy" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coy” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,336 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#25,336
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Bashful, shy, retiring.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coy vs CT
0% similar
coy vs CR
0% similar
coy vs cs
33% similar

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

Key facts for coy
PropertyValue
Headwordcoy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kɔɪ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#25,336
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coy” 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). coy 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 coy is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɔɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,336 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

coy has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CT", "CR", "cs", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English coy, from Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin qu(i)ētus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quit, quiet, quite, and quietus. The correct English form is coy, spelled C-O-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bashful, shy, retiring.
  2. 2
    Quiet, reserved, modest.
  3. 3
    Reluctant to give details about something sensitive; notably prudish.
  4. 4
    Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.
  5. 5
    Soft, gentle, hesitating.

Etymology

From Middle English coy, from Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin qu(i)ētus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quit, quiet, quite, and quietus.

This word in other languages

tímido(Español)timide(Français)keusch(Deutsch)reservado(Português)

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 "coy"?
"coy" is spelled C-O-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔɪ/.
What does "coy" mean?
As an adjective, "coy" means: Bashful, shy, retiring.
What words are commonly confused with "coy"?
"coy" is commonly confused with "CT", "CR", "cs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coy" is /kɔɪ/. 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 "coy"?
From Middle English coy, from Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin qu(i)ētus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quit, quiet, quite, and quietus. 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 “coy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɔɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CT” - see the side-by-side comparison. coy vs CT
  • 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