energy

/ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi/

//ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi// noun

"energy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“energy” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #584 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#584
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The impetus behind all motion and all activity.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

energy vs every
67% similar
energy vs entry
67% similar
energy vs enemy
67% similar

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

Key facts for energy
PropertyValue
Headwordenergy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#584
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “energy” 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). energy 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 energy is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi/. Corpus data places it at rank #584 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for energy, with forms such as "eenrgy", "enegry", and "energgy". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "every", "entry", "enemy", 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 French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia, “activity”), from ἐνεργός (energós, “active”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). The sense in physics was coined by English polymath Thomas Young in 1802 i… The correct English form is energy, spelled E-N-E-R-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The impetus behind all motion and all activity.
  2. 2
    The capacity to do work.
  3. 3
    A quantity that denotes the ability to do work and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance²/time² (ML²/T²) or the equivalent.
  4. 4
    An intangible, modifiable force (usually characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed in some New Age religions to emanate from a person, place or thing and which is (or can be) preserved and transferred in human interactions; shared mood or group habit.
  5. 5
    The external actions and influences resulting from an entity’s internal nature (ousia) and by which it is made manifest, as opposed to that internal nature itself; the aspect of an entity that can affect the wider world and be apprehended by other beings.
  6. 6
    A measure of how many actions a player or unit can take; in the fantasy genre often called magic points or mana.
  7. 7
    An atmosphere, aura, or vibe.

Etymology

From Middle French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia, “activity”), from ἐνεργός (energós, “active”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). The sense in physics was coined by English polymath Thomas Young in 1802 in his lectures on Natural Philosophy.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eenrgy,enegry,energgy,energyy,enerrgy,eneryg,ennergy,enregy,neergy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of energy - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

eenrgy2enegry2energgy1energyy1enerrgy1eneryg2ennergy1enregy2
Edit distance from "energy"

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 "energy"?
"energy" is spelled E-N-E-R-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi/.
What does "energy" mean?
As a noun, "energy" means: The impetus behind all motion and all activity.
What words are commonly confused with "energy"?
"energy" is commonly confused with "every", "entry", "enemy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "energy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "energy" is /ˈɛn.ə.d͡ʒi/. 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 "energy"?
From Middle French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia, “activity”), from ἐνεργός (energós, “active”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). The sense in physics was coined by English polymath Thomas Young... 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 “energy”

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

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