parry

/ˈpæɹ.i/

//ˈpæɹ.i// verb

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

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

The verdict

“parry” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,295. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,295
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).

Corpus desk

Index EN-parry · parry · English

parry · rank #16,295 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,295
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH paralyzed

Nearest frequency peer: paralyzed (-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 “parry”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “parry” 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).

parry vs pay
60% similar
parry vs pry
60% similar
parry vs part
60% similar

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

Key facts for parry
PropertyValue
Headwordparry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpæɹ.i/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,295
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “parry”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).parrylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “paralyzed” (#16,294), “parted” (#16,296), “outset” (#16,293). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “parry” is #16,295. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around parry (IPA /ˈpæɹ.i/), averb. Corpus frequency is #16,295 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for parry, with forms such as "aprry", "parryy", and "paryr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pay", "pry", "part", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier parree, from Middle English *parree, *paree, from Old French paree (“preparation, ceremony, parade”), from Medieval Latin parāta (“preparation, parade”), from parāre (“to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready”). More at pare. The English … The correct English form is parry, spelled P-A-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. One had to be on one's guard when thus confronted and, in the course of my numerous meetings with him, I had on occasion to exercise all my wits and be prepared at a moment's notice to parry a very awkward question, to which I would much rather have given a considered reply.
  2. Wojciech Szczesny was then called into action twice in a minute to parry fierce drives from Djebbour and Torossidis as Arsenal's back four looked all at sea.

Etymology

From earlier parree, from Middle English *parree, *paree, from Old French paree (“preparation, ceremony, parade”), from Medieval Latin parāta (“preparation, parade”), from parāre (“to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready”). More at pare. The English verb is taken from the noun. Doublet of parade. Alternative etymology derives the verb parry from French parez, the imperative form of parer (“to fend off”), ultimately from the Medieval Latin parāre. See above.

This word in other languages

parar(Español)parer(Français)parieren(Deutsch)parar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprry
  • parryy
  • paryr
  • pparry
  • prary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprry2parryy1paryr2pparry1prary2
Edit distance from "parry"

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 "parry"?
"parry" is spelled P-A-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹ.i/.
What does "parry" mean?
As a verb, "parry" means: To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).
What words are commonly confused with "parry"?
"parry" is commonly confused with "pay", "pry", "part". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parry" is /ˈpæɹ.i/. 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 "parry"?
From earlier parree, from Middle English *parree, *paree, from Old French paree (“preparation, ceremony, parade”), from Medieval Latin parāta (“preparation, parade”), from parāre (“to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready”). More at pare. Th... 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 "parry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

patio#16,297Orion#16,292Pepsi#16,300pines#16,302

Similar misspelling depth

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

OECD5 variantsmule5 variantsDani5 variantsbead5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list