# ivy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈaɪvi/ · frequency rank #9,199

## Definitions
1. Any of several woody, climbing, or trailing evergreen plants of the genus Hedera.
2. Any similar plant of any genus.

## Etymology
From Middle English ivi, from Old English īfiġ, from Proto-West Germanic *ibig, *ibag, *ibah, from Proto-Germanic *ibahs (compare West Flemish iefte, Low German Eiloov, Ieloof, German Efeu), from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)ebʰ- (compare Welsh efwr (“black elder”), Ancient Greek ἴφυον (íphuon, “spike-lavender, Lavandula Spica”)).

## Easily confused with
- **iz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ivy-vs-iz)
- **IWC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ivy-vs-iwc)
- **Izzy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ivy-vs-izzy)
- **i** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/i-vs-ivy)
- **in** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/in-vs-ivy)
- **is** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/is-vs-ivy)
- **it** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/it-vs-ivy)
- **if** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/if-vs-ivy)
- **II** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ii-vs-ivy)
- **ID** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/id-vs-ivy)
- **IV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iv-vs-ivy)
- **IP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ip-vs-ivy)
- **IA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ia-vs-ivy)
- **IQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iq-vs-ivy)
- **IG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ig-vs-ivy)
- **IC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ic-vs-ivy)
- **IB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ib-vs-ivy)
- **io** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/io-vs-ivy)
- **IK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ik-vs-ivy)
- **IH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ih-vs-ivy)

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