scally

/ˈskæli/

//ˈskæli// noun

"scally" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scally” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rascal or miscreant, a scallywag.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scally · scally · English

scally · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for scally
PropertyValue
Headwordscally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskæli/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scally” in English

scallysits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scally is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈskæli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

scally has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Abbreviation of scallywag. The correct English form is scally, spelled S-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rascal or miscreant, a scallywag.
  2. 2
    A jobless yob who has little or no education and is suspected of having committed some type of crime.
  3. 3
    A flat cap or driving cap.

Etymology

Abbreviation of scallywag.

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

How do you spell "scally"?
"scally" is spelled S-C-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskæli/.
What does "scally" mean?
As a noun, "scally" means: A rascal or miscreant, a scallywag.
How do you pronounce "scally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scally" is /ˈskæli/. 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 "scally"?
Abbreviation of scallywag. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list