edify
/ˈɛdɪfaɪ/verb
edify is spelled E-D-I-F-Y: 5 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 99,289th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, edify means “To instruct or improve morally or intellectually” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in edify?
| Letters | 5: E-D-I-F-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 11 million words; the 99,289th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 edify?
Edify appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 99,289th 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 edify?
- /ˈɛdɪfaɪ/
Edify has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-edify.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with edify?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as edify.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: deify.
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 edify
- edifies present, singular, he/she/it
- edifying participle, present
- edified participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does edify mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
archaicTo build, construct.
- 2
To instruct or improve morally or intellectually.
January 23, 1783, Edward Gibbon, letter to Dr. Priestley It does not appear probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Edify in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to instruct or improve morally or intellectually:
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 edify come from?
From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).