Derry

/ˈdɛɹi/

//ˈdɛɹi// name

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

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

The verdict

“Derry” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,643 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#22,643
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city in northwestern Northern Ireland; also known as Londonderry.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Derry vs dry
40% similar
Derry vs dey
40% similar
Derry vs dory
40% similar

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

Key facts for Derry
PropertyValue
HeadwordDerry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈdɛɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#22,643
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Derry” 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). Derry 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 Derry is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,643 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 Derry, with forms such as "dderry", "derryy", and "dery". 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, "dry", "dey", "dory", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Irish Doire, from doire (“oak grove”), from Old Irish daire (“oak forest”), from Proto-Celtic *daru. The correct English form is Derry, spelled D-E-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A city in northwestern Northern Ireland; also known as Londonderry.
  2. 2
    One of the traditional counties in northwestern Northern Ireland; known as County Derry, or officially as County Londonderry.
  3. 3
    A town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States.
  4. 4
    A borough and township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States.
  5. 5
    A number of townships in Illinois (1) and Pennsylvania (4), United States, listed under Derry Township.
  6. 6
    A surname.
  7. 7
    A male given name.

Etymology

From Irish Doire, from doire (“oak grove”), from Old Irish daire (“oak forest”), from Proto-Celtic *daru.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dderry,derryy,dery,deryr,drery,edrry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Derry - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

dderry1derryy1dery1deryr2drery2edrry2
Edit distance from "Derry"

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 "Derry"?
"Derry" is spelled D-E-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛɹi/.
What does "Derry" mean?
As a proper noun, "Derry" means: A city in northwestern Northern Ireland; also known as Londonderry.
What words are commonly confused with "Derry"?
"Derry" is commonly confused with "dry", "dey", "dory". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Derry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Derry" is /ˈdɛɹi/. 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 "Derry"?
From Irish Doire, from doire (“oak grove”), from Old Irish daire (“oak forest”), from Proto-Celtic *daru. 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 “Derry”

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

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