# fay

> English word · Verb · IPA /feɪ/ · frequency rank #19,836

## Definitions
1. To fit, to add.
2. To join (pieces of timber) tightly. The long edges of the staves of a barrel have to be fayed so that when it is assembled it will not leak.
3. Of pieces of timber: to lie close together.
4. To fadge.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English feyen, feien, from Old English fēġan (“to join, unite”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōgijan, from Proto-Germanic *fōgijaną (“to join”), from *fōgō (“joint, slot”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- (“to fasten, place”). Akin to Saterland Frisian fougje (“to join, add”), West Frisian foegje (“to join, add”), Dutch voegen (“to add, place”), German Low German fögen (“to join, add”), German fügen (“to connect”), Old English fōn (“to catch”). More at fang.

## Easily confused with
- **fi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fi)
- **FL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fl)
- **FM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fm)
- **Fe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fe)
- **fu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fu)
- **FF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-ff)
- **FB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fb)
- **fo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fo)
- **FS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fs)
- **FN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fn)
- **FP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fp)
- **FW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fw)
- **fy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fy)
- **for** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-for)
- **few** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-few)
- **fun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fun)
- **fit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fit)
- **fix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fix)
- **fly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fly)
- **fox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fay-vs-fox)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fay