decay

/dɪˈkeɪ/

//dɪˈkeɪ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“decay” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,160 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,160
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

decay vs dey
60% similar
decay vs deck
60% similar
decay vs deny
60% similar

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

Key facts for decay
PropertyValue
Headworddecay
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈkeɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,160
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “decay” 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). decay 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 decay is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈkeɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,160 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for decay, with forms such as "dceay", "ddecay", and "deacy". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dey", "deck", "deny", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English decayen, dekeyen (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall a… The correct English form is decay, spelled D-E-C-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action.
  2. 2
    Deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
  3. 3
    Radioactive decay; decomposition of an atom or its nucleus.
  4. 4
    Particle decay; decomposition of a sub-atomic particle.
  5. 5
    Continuous decrease of a quantity.
  6. 6
    Overthrow, destruction, ruin, death.
  7. 7
    Array decay.

Etymology

From Middle English decayen, dekeyen (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall away, fail, sink, perish”), from de (“down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence.

This word in other languages

descomposición(Español)décrépitude(Français)Verfall(Deutsch)apodrecimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dceay,ddecay,deacy,decayy,deccay,decya,edcay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dceay2ddecay1deacy2decayy1deccay1decya2edcay2
Edit distance from "decay"

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 "decay"?
"decay" is spelled D-E-C-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈkeɪ/.
What does "decay" mean?
As a noun, "decay" means: Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action.
What words are commonly confused with "decay"?
"decay" is commonly confused with "dey", "deck", "deny". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "decay"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decay" is /dɪˈkeɪ/. 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 "decay"?
From Middle English decayen, dekeyen (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (... 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 “decay”

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

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