rivalry

/ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi/

//ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi// noun

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

"rivalry" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rivalry” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,664. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,664
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An ongoing relationship between (usually two) rivals who compete for superiority.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rivalry · rivalry · English

rivalry · rank #9,664 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,664
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH righteous

Nearest frequency peer: righteous (-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 “rivalry”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rivalry” 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).

rivalry vs rival
71% similar

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

Key facts for rivalry
PropertyValue
Headwordrivalry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,664
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rivalry”

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).rivalrylands 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 “righteous” (#9,663), “Rosa” (#9,665), “ribs” (#9,662). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rivalry” is #9,664. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around rivalry (IPA /ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,664 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for rivalry, with forms such as "irvalry", "riavlry", and "rivallry". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "rival", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From rival + -ry. The correct English form is rivalry, spelled R-I-V-A-L-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ongoing relationship between (usually two) rivals who compete for superiority.
  2. 2
    The characteristic of being a rivalrous good, such that it can be consumed or used by only one person at a time.
  3. 3
    Any competition between two or more things or factors.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Boston Bruins have a longstanding rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens.
  2. James and Polly have a bitter rivalry due to the latter's inclusion in the Tea Time Teaser.

Etymology

From rival + -ry.

This word in other languages

rivalidad(Español)rivalité(Français)Rivalität(Deutsch)rivalidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • irvalry
  • riavlry
  • rivallry
  • rivalrry
  • rivalryy
  • rivalyr
  • rivarly
  • rivlary
  • rivvalry
  • rrivalry
  • rvialry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rivalry - 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.

irvalry2riavlry2rivallry1rivalrry1rivalryy1rivalyr2rivarly2rivlary2
Edit distance from "rivalry"

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 "rivalry"?
"rivalry" is spelled R-I-V-A-L-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi/.
What does "rivalry" mean?
As a noun, "rivalry" means: An ongoing relationship between (usually two) rivals who compete for superiority.
What words are commonly confused with "rivalry"?
"rivalry" is commonly confused with "rival". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rivalry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rivalry" is /ˈɹaɪ.vəl.ɹi/. 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 "rivalry"?
From rival + -ry. 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 "rivalry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

royalty#9,666sausage#9,668psychic#9,653Natalie#9,638

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

tutorial11 variantsminimize11 variantsMidwest11 variantsmelting11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list