McCoy

/məˈkɔɪ/

//məˈkɔɪ// name

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

The verdict

“McCoy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,564. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,564
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

McCoy vs McKay
60% similar
McCoy vs Micky
40% similar
McCoy vs Macy
40% similar

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

Key facts for McCoy
PropertyValue
HeadwordMcCoy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/məˈkɔɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,564
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “McCoy” 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). McCoy 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 6 spelling variants around McCoy (IPA /məˈkɔɪ/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #13,564 among 36,575 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A surname.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for McCoy, with forms such as "cmcoy", "mccoyy", and "mccyo". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "McKay", "Micky", "Macy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is McCoy, spelled M-C-C-O-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cmcoy
  • mccoyy
  • mccyo
  • mcocy
  • mcoy
  • mmccoy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of McCoy - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cmcoy2mccoyy1mccyo2mcocy2mcoy1mmccoy1
Edit distance from "McCoy"

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 "McCoy"?
"McCoy" is spelled M-C-C-O-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /məˈkɔɪ/.
What does "McCoy" mean?
As a proper noun, "McCoy" means: A surname.
What words are commonly confused with "McCoy"?
"McCoy" is commonly confused with "McKay", "Micky", "Macy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "McCoy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "McCoy" is /məˈkɔɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "McCoy" come from?
"McCoy" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “McCoy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-C-C-O-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /məˈkɔɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “McKay” - see the side-by-side comparison. McCoy vs McKay
  • 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