splay
/spleɪ/verb, adjective, adverb, noun
splay is spelled S-P-L-A-Y: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, splay means “To spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in splay?
| Letters | 5: S-P-L-A-Y |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 85,266th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is splay?
Splay appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce splay?
- US /spleɪ/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-splay.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with splay?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as splay from its last stressed vowel (/eɪ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: palsy.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of splay
- splays present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- splaying participle, present
- splayed participle, past
- more splay comparative
- most splay superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does splay mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand.
- 2
To construct a bevel or slope on (something, such as the frame or jamb of a door or window); to bevel, to slant, to slope.
- 3
To rearrange (a splay tree) so that a desired element is placed at the root.
- 4
To dislocate (a body part such as a shoulder bone).
- 5
obsoleteTo unfurl or unroll (a banner or flag).
- 6
To have, or lie in, an oblique or slanted position.
- 7
To spread out awkwardly; to sprawl.
- 8
Synonym of spay (“to destroy or remove the ovaries and/or uterus (of a female animal) to prevent pregnancy”).
adjective
- 1
Oblique, slanted.
- 2
Turned outward; spread out.
to sit splay-legged
- 3
Crooked, distorted, out of place.
splay shoulders
adverb
- 1
In an oblique or slanted manner; obliquely, slantedly.
- 2
Of walking, etc.: with the feet turned outwards; in a splayfooted manner.
noun
- 1
An outward spread of an object such as a bowl or cup.
- 2
A bevel, slant, or slope, especially of the frame or jamb of a door or window, by which an opening is made larger at one face of the wall than at the other, or larger at each of the faces than it is between them.
- 3
The amount of such a bevel, slant, or slope.
- 4
A widening of a minor road where it forms a junction with a major road to ensure that the view of traffic on the major road by drivers on the minor road is not obstructed.
visibility splay
- 5
The view to the left or right which a driver on a minor road has of traffic on the major road; also, a plan showing this.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Splay in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | spreizen , Abkantung, Abschrägung |
| Spanish | disgregar, desperdigar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does splay come from?
The verb is derived from Middle English splaien, splayen (“to display; to spread out, unfurl (a flag, etc.); (cooking) to cut open (a fish) lengthwise and lay it open; (figurative) to appear; to spread”), an aphetic form of Middle English displaien, displayen (“to display”): see display. The adjective and adverb are derived from the verb, or from splayfoot (noun) or splayfooted (adjective). The noun is derived from the verb.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).