peaky

/ˈpiːki/

//ˈpiːki// adj

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

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

The verdict

“peaky” is uncommon English (frequency #55,005 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,005
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sickly; peaked.

Key facts for peaky
PropertyValue
Headwordpeaky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpiːki/
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,005
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “peaky” 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). peaky lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

peaky is uncommon English at frequency #55,005 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈpiːki/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for peaky in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From peak + -y. The correct English form is peaky, spelled P-E-A-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sickly; peaked.
  2. 2
    Characterised by peaks.

Etymology

From peak + -y.

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 "peaky"?
"peaky" is spelled P-E-A-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpiːki/.
What does "peaky" mean?
As an adjective, "peaky" means: Sickly; peaked.
How do you pronounce "peaky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peaky" is /ˈpiːki/. 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 "peaky"?
From peak + -y. 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.

Using “peaky”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-A-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpiːki/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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