every

/ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi/

//ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi// det

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

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

The verdict

“every” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #158 in English word frequency and used as a determiner.

#158
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - All of a countable group (considered individually), without exception.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

every vs exert
60% similar
every vs eve
60% similar
every vs even
60% similar

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

Key facts for every
PropertyValue
Headwordevery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechDeterminer
IPA/ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#158
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “every” 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). every 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 every is 5 letters long, classified as a determiner, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #158 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for every, with forms such as "eevry", "everry", and "everyy". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "exert", "eve", "even", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English every, everich, eaver-euch, averiche, aver alche, ever ælche, from Old English ǣfre ǣlċ, ǣfre ǣġhwelċ (“each and every”). By surface analysis, ever + each or ever + which. The correct English form is every, spelled E-V-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    All of a countable group (considered individually), without exception.
  2. 2
    Denotes equal spacing at a stated interval, or a proportion corresponding to such a spacing.
  3. 3
    Denotes an abundance of something.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English every, everich, eaver-euch, averiche, aver alche, ever ælche, from Old English ǣfre ǣlċ, ǣfre ǣġhwelċ (“each and every”). By surface analysis, ever + each or ever + which.

Synonyms

each

Antonyms

nonone

This word in other languages

cada(Español)tout(Français)jeder(Deutsch)cada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eevry,everry,everyy,eveyr,evrey,evvery,veery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of every - 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.

eevry2everry1everyy1eveyr2evrey2evvery1veery2
Edit distance from "every"

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 "every"?
"every" is spelled E-V-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi/.
What does "every" mean?
As a determiner, "every" means: All of a countable group (considered individually), without exception.
What words are commonly confused with "every"?
"every" is commonly confused with "exert", "eve", "even". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "every"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "every" is /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi/. 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 "every"?
Inherited from Middle English every, everich, eaver-euch, averiche, aver alche, ever ælche, from Old English ǣfre ǣlċ, ǣfre ǣġhwelċ (“each and every”). By surface analysis, ever + each or ever + which. 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 “every”

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

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