# delay

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪˈleɪ/ · frequency rank #3,618

## Definitions
1. A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
2. An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.
3. Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
4. An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.

## Etymology
From Middle English delaien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman delaier, Old French deslaier, from des- + Old French laier (“to leave”), a conflation of Old Frankish *lattjan ("to delay, hinder"; from Proto-Germanic *latjaną (“to delay, hinder, stall”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, leave behind”)), and Old Frankish *laibijan ("to leave"; from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to leave, cause to stay”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to remain, continue”)). Doublet of dally.
Akin to Old English latian (“to delay, hesitate”), Old English latu (“a delay, a hindrance”), Old English lǣfan (“to leave”). More at let (to hinder), late, leave.

## Easily confused with
- **dey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dey)
- **deny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-deny)
- **dell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dell)
- **duly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-duly)
- **deli** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-deli)
- **deva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-deva)
- **dewy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dewy)
- **Delhi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-delhi)
- **delta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-delta)
- **derby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-derby)
- **Dylan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dylan)
- **dolly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dolly)
- **Dewey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dewey)
- **Della** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-della)
- **Dolan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dolan)
- **Derry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-derry)
- **delve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-delve)
- **Delia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-delia)
- **Dolby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-dolby)
- **Desai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delay-vs-desai)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ddelay`, `dealy`, `delayy`, `dellay`, `delya`, `dleay`, `edlay`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/delay