memory

/ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/

//ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi// noun

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

The verdict

“memory” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,641. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,641
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.

Corpus desk

Index EN-memory · memory · English

memory · rank #1,641 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,641
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH leaders

Nearest frequency peer: leaders (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “memory”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “memory” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

memory vs merry
67% similar
memory vs memo
67% similar
memory vs melody
67% similar

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

Key facts for memory
PropertyValue
Headwordmemory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,641
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “memory”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).memorylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “leaders” (#1,640), “prime” (#1,642), “Japanese” (#1,639). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “memory” is #1,641. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around memory (IPA /ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,641 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for memory, with forms such as "emmory", "memmory", and "memorry". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "merry", "memo", "melody", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc., from Latin memoria (“the faculty of remembering, remembrance, memory, a historical account”), from memor (“mindful, remembering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (to remember), related to Ancient Greek … The correct English form is memory, spelled M-E-M-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.
  2. 2
    A record of a thing or an event stored and available for later use by the organism.
  3. 3
    The part of a computer that stores variable executable code or data (RAM) or unalterable executable code or default data (ROM).
  4. 4
    The time within which past events can be or are remembered.
  5. 5
    Which returns to its original shape when heated
  6. 6
    A memorial.
  7. 7
    Synonym of pelmanism (“memory card game”).
  8. 8
    A term of venery for a social group of elephants, normally called a herd.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how memory appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Memory is a facility common to all animals.
  2. And they say goldfish have no memory. I guess their lives are much like mine. And the little plastic castle is a surprise every time.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc., from Latin memoria (“the faculty of remembering, remembrance, memory, a historical account”), from memor (“mindful, remembering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (to remember), related to Ancient Greek μνήμη (mnḗmē, “memory”) μέρμερος (mérmeros, “anxious”), μέριμνα (mérimna, “care, thought”), Old English ġemimor (“mindful, remembering”). More at mimmer. Doublet of memoir and memoria. Displaced native Old English ġemynd, which took on a different meaning as modern mind.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emmory
  • memmory
  • memorry
  • memoryy
  • memoyr
  • memroy
  • meomry
  • mmemory
  • mmeory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emmory2memmory1memorry1memoryy1memoyr2memroy2meomry2mmemory1
Edit distance from "memory"

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 "memory"?
"memory" is spelled M-E-M-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/.
What does "memory" mean?
As a noun, "memory" means: The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.
What words are commonly confused with "memory"?
"memory" is commonly confused with "merry", "memo", "melody". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "memory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "memory" is /ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/. 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 "memory"?
From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc., from Latin memoria (“the faculty of remembering, remembrance, memory, a historical account”), from memor (“mindful, remembering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (to remember), related to Anci... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "memory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list