# relay

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹiːleɪ/ · frequency rank #8,849

## Definitions
1. A new set of hounds.
2. A new set of horses kept along a specific route so that they can replace animals that are tired.
3. A new set of anything.
4. A series of vehicles travelling in sequence.
5. A competition between teams where members of a team take turns completing parts of a course or performing a certain action.
6. A competition between teams where members of a team take turns completing parts of a course or performing a certain action.
7. An electrical actuator that allows a relatively small electrical voltage or current to control a larger voltage or current.

## Etymology
From Middle French relai (“reserve pack of hounds”), from relaier (“to exchange tired animals for fresh”); literally, "to leave behind", from Old French relaier (“to leave behind”), from re- + laier (“to leave”), of uncertain origin.

## Easily confused with
- **Rey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-rey)
- **rly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-rly)
- **rely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-rely)
- **Reza** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-reza)
- **reply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-reply)
- **Riley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-riley)
- **repay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-repay)
- **renal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-renal)
- **relic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-relic)
- **retry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-retry)
- **replay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-replay)
- **reload** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-reload)
- **relayed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relay-vs-relayed)
- **ray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ray-vs-relay)
- **Rea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rea-vs-relay)
- **rel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rel-vs-relay)
- **real** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/real-vs-relay)
- **read** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/read-vs-relay)
- **rear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rear-vs-relay)
- **reap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reap-vs-relay)

## Common misspellings (6)
`erlay`, `relayy`, `rellay`, `relya`, `rleay`, `rrelay`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/relay