# sleepy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsliːpi/ · frequency rank #11,608

## Definitions
1. Tired; feeling the need for sleep.
2. Suggesting tiredness.
3. Tending to induce sleep.
4. Dull; lazy.
5. Quiet; without bustle or activity.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *slēpaz
Proto-West Germanic *slāp
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Proto-West Germanic *slāpag
Old English *slǣpiġ
Middle English slepy
English sleepy
From Middle English slepy, from Old English *slǣpiġ (attested in unslǣpiġ (“sleepless”)), from Proto-West Germanic *slāpag (“sleepy”), equivalent to sleep + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian släipich (“sleepy”), West Frisian sliepich (“sleepy”), dialectal Dutch slapig, slepig (“sleepy”), German Low German slapig, släpig, slöpig (“sleepy”), archaic German schlafig (“sleepy”).

## Easily confused with
- **slept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-slept)
- **steep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-steep)
- **sweep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sweep)
- **sleet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sleet)
- **sleeve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sleeve)
- **speedy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-speedy)
- **sloppy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sloppy)
- **sweeps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sweeps)
- **steely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-steely)
- **sweety** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-sweety)
- **steeply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleepy-vs-steeply)
- **seep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seep-vs-sleepy)
- **sleep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleep-vs-sleepy)
- **sheep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sheep-vs-sleepy)
- **sleek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleek-vs-sleepy)
- **seedy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seedy-vs-sleepy)
- **sleeps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleeps-vs-sleepy)
- **sleazy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleazy-vs-sleepy)
- **sleeper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleeper-vs-sleepy)

## Common misspellings (9)
`lseepy`, `selepy`, `sleeppy`, `sleepyy`, `sleeyp`, `slepey`, `slepy`, `slleepy`, `ssleepy`

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