supply

/səˈplaɪ/

//səˈplaɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“supply” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,651 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,651
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To provide (something), to make (something) available for use.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

supply vs surly
67% similar
supply vs surely
67% similar
supply vs supp
67% similar

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

Key facts for supply
PropertyValue
Headwordsupply
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈplaɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,651
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “supply” 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). supply 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 supply is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səˈplaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,651 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for supply, with forms such as "spuply", "ssupply", and "suplpy". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "surly", "surely", "supp", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English supplien, borrowed from Old French soupleer, souploier, from Latin suppleo (“to fill up, make full, complete, supply”). The Middle English spelling was modified to conform to Latin etymology. The correct English form is supply, spelled S-U-P-P-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To provide (something), to make (something) available for use.
  2. 2
    To furnish or equip with.
  3. 3
    To fill up, or keep full.
  4. 4
    To compensate for, or make up a deficiency of.
  5. 5
    To serve instead of; to take the place of.
  6. 6
    To act as a substitute.
  7. 7
    To fill temporarily; to serve as substitute for another in, as a vacant place or office; to occupy; to have possession of.

Etymology

From Middle English supplien, borrowed from Old French soupleer, souploier, from Latin suppleo (“to fill up, make full, complete, supply”). The Middle English spelling was modified to conform to Latin etymology.

Synonyms

provision

This word in other languages

proveer(Español)fournir(Français)bereitstellen(Deutsch)suprir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: spuply,ssupply,suplpy,suply,supplly,supplyy,suppyl,uspply

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuply2ssupply1suplpy2suply1supplly1supplyy1suppyl2uspply2
Edit distance from "supply"

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 "supply"?
"supply" is spelled S-U-P-P-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈplaɪ/.
What does "supply" mean?
As a verb, "supply" means: To provide (something), to make (something) available for use.
What words are commonly confused with "supply"?
"supply" is commonly confused with "surly", "surely", "supp". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "supply"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "supply" is /səˈplaɪ/. 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 "supply"?
From Middle English supplien, borrowed from Old French soupleer, souploier, from Latin suppleo (“to fill up, make full, complete, supply”). The Middle English spelling was modified to conform to Latin etymology. 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 “supply”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-P-P-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /səˈplaɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “surly” - see the side-by-side comparison. supply vs surly
  • 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