cully

/ˈkʌli/

//ˈkʌli// noun

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

"cully" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cully” is an uncommon English word, ranked #87,179 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#87,179
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who is easily tricked or imposed on; a dupe, a gullible person.

Key facts for cully
PropertyValue
Headwordcully
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌli/
Letters5
Frequency rank#87,179
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cully” 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). cully 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 cully is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkʌli/. Corpus data places it at rank #87,179 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for cully in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”) The correct English form is cully, spelled C-U-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who is easily tricked or imposed on; a dupe, a gullible person.
  2. 2
    A companion.
  3. 3
    A male client of a prostitute; a john, a gonk.

Etymology

Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”)

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 "cully"?
"cully" is spelled C-U-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌli/.
What does "cully" mean?
As a noun, "cully" means: A person who is easily tricked or imposed on; a dupe, a gullible person.
How do you pronounce "cully"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cully" is /ˈkʌli/. 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 "cully"?
Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”) 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 “cully”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkʌli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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