# foley

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfoʊli/ · frequency rank #14,946

## Definitions
1. The creation of sound effects, and their addition to film and TV images.
2. A foley artist.
3. A Foley catheter.

## Etymology
From the surname Foley, itself from Irish Ó Foghlú and Old Irish Ó Foghladha (“plunderer”).
The meanings related to sound effects are named after sound effects pioneer Jack Foley.

## Easily confused with
- **foy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-foy)
- **folk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-folk)
- **Frey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-frey)
- **foxy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-foxy)
- **fully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-fully)
- **folks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-folks)
- **forty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-forty)
- **forex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-forex)
- **folly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-folly)
- **footy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-footy)
- **folio** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-folio)
- **foyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-foyer)
- **foray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-foray)
- **folic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-folic)
- **Foyle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-foyle)
- **fowler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-fowler)
- **fooled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-fooled)
- **fouled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foley-vs-fouled)
- **fly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fly-vs-foley)
- **foe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foe-vs-foley)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ffoley`, `floey`, `foely`, `foleyy`, `folley`, `folye`, `ofley`

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