defray
/dɪˈfɹeɪ/
"defray" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“defray” is an uncommon English word, ranked #60,751 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #60,751
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | defray |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /dɪˈfɹeɪ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #60,751 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “defray” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for defray is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈfɹeɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #60,751 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 generated misspelling entries exist for defray in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French desfrayer, French défrayer, from dé- + Old French fraier (“to spend”). The correct English form is defray, spelled D-E-F-R-A-Y.
Definition
- 1To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something).
- 2To pay for (something).
- 3To spend (money).
Etymology
From Middle French desfrayer, French défrayer, from dé- + Old French fraier (“to spend”).
This word in other languages
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
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Using “defray”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-R-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈfɹeɪ/ (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.