galley

/ˈɡæli/

//ˈɡæli// noun

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

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

The verdict

“galley” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,806. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,806
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually a rowed warship used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

galley vs Gayle
50% similar
galley vs gully
67% similar
galley vs Gallo
50% similar

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

Key facts for galley
PropertyValue
Headwordgalley
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡæli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#21,806
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “galley” 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). galley lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around galley (IPA /ˈɡæli/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,806 among 18,276 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for galley, with forms such as "aglley", "galely", and "galey". 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, "Gayle", "gully", "Gallo", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English galeie, from Old French galee, from Latin galea, from Byzantine Greek γάλεα (gálea) of unknown origin, probably from Ancient Greek γαλέη (galéē), a kind of a small fish, from γαλεός (galeós, “dog-fish or small shark”). The correct English form is galley, spelled G-A-L-L-E-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually a rowed warship used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.
  2. 2
    A light, open boat used on the Thames by customhouse officers, press gangs, and also for pleasure.
  3. 3
    One of the small boats carried by a man-of-war.
  4. 4
    The cookroom or kitchen and cooking apparatus of a vessel or aircraft; sometimes on merchant vessels called the caboose.
  5. 5
    An oblong oven or muffle with a battery of retorts; a gallery furnace.
  6. 6
    An oblong tray of wood or brass, with upright sides, for holding type which has been set, or is to be made up, etc.
  7. 7
    A proof sheet taken from type while on a galley; a galley proof.
  8. 8
    A representation of a single-masted ship propelled by oars, with three flags and a basket.

Etymology

From Middle English galeie, from Old French galee, from Latin galea, from Byzantine Greek γάλεα (gálea) of unknown origin, probably from Ancient Greek γαλέη (galéē), a kind of a small fish, from γαλεός (galeós, “dog-fish or small shark”).

Synonyms

lymphad

This word in other languages

galera(Español)galère(Français)Galeere(Deutsch)galera(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aglley,galely,galey,galleyy,gallye,ggalley,glaley

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aglley2galely2galey1galleyy1gallye2ggalley1glaley2
Edit distance from "galley"

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 "galley"?
"galley" is spelled G-A-L-L-E-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡæli/.
What does "galley" mean?
As a noun, "galley" means: A long, slender ship propelled primarily by oars, whether having masts and sails or not; usually a rowed warship used in the Mediterranean from the 16th century until the modern era.
What words are commonly confused with "galley"?
"galley" is commonly confused with "Gayle", "gully", "Gallo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "galley"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "galley" is /ˈɡæli/. 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 "galley"?
From Middle English galeie, from Old French galee, from Latin galea, from Byzantine Greek γάλεα (gálea) of unknown origin, probably from Ancient Greek γαλέη (galéē), a kind of a small fish, from γαλεός (galeós, “dog-fish or small shark”). 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 “galley”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-L-L-E-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡæli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Gayle” - see the side-by-side comparison. galley vs Gayle
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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