envy

/ˈɛnvi/

//ˈɛnvi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“envy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,040. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,040
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions).

Corpus desk

Index EN-envy · envy · English

envy · rank #9,040 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,040
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH enthusiastic

Nearest frequency peer: enthusiastic (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “envy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “envy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

envy vs EV
0% similar
envy vs ey
50% similar
envy vs eve
50% similar

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

Key facts for envy
PropertyValue
Headwordenvy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛnvi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#9,040
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “envy”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).envylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “enthusiastic” (#9,039), “exile” (#9,042), “elbow” (#9,037). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “envy” is #9,040. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around envy (IPA /ˈɛnvi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,040 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for envy, with forms such as "ennvy", "envvy", and "envyy". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "EV", "ey", "eve", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”). Doublet of envie.… The correct English form is envy, spelled E-N-V-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions).
  2. 2
    An object of envious notice or feeling.
  3. 3
    Hatred, enmity, ill-feeling.
  4. 4
    Emulation; rivalry.
  5. 5
    Public odium; ill repute.
  6. 6
    A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how envy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. No bliss enjoyed by us excites his envy more.
  2. Envy, to which the ignoble mind's a slave, Is emulation in the learned or brave.

Etymology

Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”). Doublet of envie. Cognate to Proto-Slavic *zavistь (“envy”). Displaced native Old English æfest.

Antonyms

kindness

This word in other languages

envidia(Español)envie(Français)Neid(Deutsch)inveja(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ennvy
  • envvy
  • envyy
  • enyv
  • evny
  • nevy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ennvy1envvy1envyy1enyv2evny2nevy2
Edit distance from "envy"

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 "envy"?
"envy" is spelled E-N-V-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛnvi/.
What does "envy" mean?
As a noun, "envy" means: Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions).
What words are commonly confused with "envy"?
"envy" is commonly confused with "EV", "ey", "eve". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "envy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "envy" is /ˈɛnvi/. 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 "envy"?
Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”). Doublet... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "envy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Dems#9,032heel#9,052Nash#9,071yell#9,008

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

exile6 variantselbow6 variantsCairo6 variantsNobel6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list