pass by
/pɑːs ˈbaɪ/
"pass-by" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pass by” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To travel past without stopping.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pass by |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /pɑːs ˈbaɪ/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pass by” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for pass by is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɑːs ˈbaɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
pass by has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is pass by, spelled P-A-S-S- -B-Y.
Definition
- 1To travel past without stopping.
- 2To travel past (something) without stopping; (figurative) to ignore, to disregard.
- 3To elapse.
- 4To drop by.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “pass by”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-A-S-S- -B-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pɑːs ˈbaɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.