derby
der·by/ˈdɝ.bi/noun
derby is spelled D-E-R-B-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables (der·by). It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, derby means “Any of several annual horse races” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of derby is derbies.
How many letters and syllables are in derby?
| Letters | 5: D-E-R-B-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: der·by |
| In writing | 13 times per million words; the 6,047th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is derby?
Derby appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce derby?
- UK /ˈdɑː.bi/
- Australia /ˈdäː.bi/
- US /ˈdɝ.bi/
Derby has 2 syllables, split der·by in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-derby.wav, En-uk-Derby.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with derby?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as derby from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹbi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of derby
- derbies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does derby mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of several annual horse races.
- 2
Any organized race.
a donkey derby
- 3
USA bowler hat.
- 4
A sports match between rival teams.
- 5
A local derby.
noun
- 1
A type of cheese made in Derby, England.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Derby in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does derby come from?
From Epsom Derby horse race, named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. Ultimately from Derby.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).