registry

/ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/

//ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi// noun

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

"registry" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“registry” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,116. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,116
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A building in which things are registered or where registers are kept.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

registry vs register
75% similar
registry vs registrar
78% similar

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

Key facts for registry
PropertyValue
Headwordregistry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,116
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “registry” 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). registry 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 13 spelling variants around registry (IPA /ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,116 among 21,470 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for registry, with forms such as "ergistry", "reggistry", and "regisrty". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "register", "registrar", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: A variant of registery, from Middle English regestery (“?a record book; ?a bookmark”), partly from Medieval Latin regesterium, registerium and probably also partly formed with -ery. Equivalent to register + -y. The correct English form is registry, spelled R-E-G-I-S-T-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A building in which things are registered or where registers are kept.
  2. 2
    A record; an account; a register.
  3. 3
    The act of registering; registration.
  4. 4
    A database of configuration settings etc. maintained by the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Etymology

A variant of registery, from Middle English regestery (“?a record book; ?a bookmark”), partly from Medieval Latin regesterium, registerium and probably also partly formed with -ery. Equivalent to register + -y.

This word in other languages

enregistrement(Français)Registratur(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ergistry
  • reggistry
  • regisrty
  • regisstry
  • registrry
  • registryy
  • registtry
  • registyr
  • regitsry
  • regsitry
  • reigstry
  • rgeistry
  • rregistry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of registry - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ergistry2reggistry1regisrty2regisstry1registrry1registryy1registtry1registyr2
Edit distance from "registry"

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 "registry"?
"registry" is spelled R-E-G-I-S-T-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/.
What does "registry" mean?
As a noun, "registry" means: A building in which things are registered or where registers are kept.
What words are commonly confused with "registry"?
"registry" is commonly confused with "register", "registrar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "registry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "registry" is /ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/. 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 "registry"?
A variant of registery, from Middle English regestery (“?a record book; ?a bookmark”), partly from Medieval Latin regesterium, registerium and probably also partly formed with -ery. Equivalent to register + -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 “registry”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-G-I-S-T-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪstɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “register” - see the side-by-side comparison. registry vs register
  • 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