deny

/dɪˈnaɪ/

//dɪˈnaɪ// verb

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

"deny" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deny” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,013 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,013
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To disallow or reject.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

deny vs dy
50% similar
deny vs dry
50% similar
deny vs don
50% similar

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

Key facts for deny
PropertyValue
Headworddeny
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈnaɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,013
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deny” 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). deny 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 deny is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈnaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,013 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 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for deny, with forms such as "ddeny", "denny", and "denyy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dy", "dry", "don", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier (“to deny, to repudiate”) (French dénier), from Latin denegare (“to deny, to refuse”), from de- (“away”) and negare (“to refuse”), the latter ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“no, not”). Doublet of… The correct English form is deny, spelled D-E-N-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To disallow or reject.
  2. 2
    To assert that something is not true.
  3. 3
    To refuse to give or grant something to someone.
  4. 4
    To take something away from someone; to deprive of.
  5. 5
    To prevent from scoring.
  6. 6
    To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, etc.; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.
  7. 7
    To refuse (to do or accept something).

Etymology

From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier (“to deny, to repudiate”) (French dénier), from Latin denegare (“to deny, to refuse”), from de- (“away”) and negare (“to refuse”), the latter ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“no, not”). Doublet of denegate.

This word in other languages

negar(Español)nier(Français)leugnen(Deutsch)negar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeny,denny,denyy,deyn,dney,edny

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deny - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddeny1denny1denyy1deyn2dney2edny2
Edit distance from "deny"

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 "deny"?
"deny" is spelled D-E-N-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈnaɪ/.
What does "deny" mean?
As a verb, "deny" means: To disallow or reject.
What words are commonly confused with "deny"?
"deny" is commonly confused with "dy", "dry", "don". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deny"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deny" is /dɪˈnaɪ/. 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 "deny"?
From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier (“to deny, to repudiate”) (French dénier), from Latin denegare (“to deny, to refuse”), from de- (“away”) and negare (“to refuse”), the latter ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“no, not”). ... 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 “deny”

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

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