shy

/ʃaɪ/

//ʃaɪ// adj

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

"shy" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shy” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,551 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,551
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Easily frightened; timid.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

shy vs so
33% similar
shy vs SI
0% similar
shy vs SS
0% similar

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

Key facts for shy
PropertyValue
Headwordshy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʃaɪ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#5,551
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shy” 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). shy lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for shy is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʃaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,551 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

shy doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "so", "SI", "SS", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy”), Danish… The correct English form is shy, spelled S-H-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Easily frightened; timid.
  2. 2
    Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.
  3. 3
    Cautious; wary; suspicious.
  4. 4
    Short, insufficient or less than.
  5. 5
    Less likely to reveal whom they will vote for than average, chiefly in the context of the collective effect this has on polling accuracy.

Etymology

From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy”), Danish sky (“shy”). Etymology tree Middle English shy English shy

Synonyms

abashedbackwardbashfulbookishcoydistantembarrassedhesitantmousypassivequietreclusiveretiringshamefastsheep-facedsheepishshysubmissivetimiduncommunicative

Antonyms

audaciousbarefacedboldbrazenimpudentimmodestunblushingconfident

This word in other languages

tímido(Español)timide(Français)scheu(Deutsch)assustado(Português)

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 "shy"?
"shy" is spelled S-H-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃaɪ/.
What does "shy" mean?
As an adjective, "shy" means: Easily frightened; timid.
What words are commonly confused with "shy"?
"shy" is commonly confused with "so", "SI", "SS". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shy" is /ʃaɪ/. 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 "shy"?
From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy... 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 “shy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʃaɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “so” - see the side-by-side comparison. shy vs so
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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