waylay
/ˈweɪleɪ/verb
waylay is spelled W-A-Y-L-A-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 26 million words in written English, the 154,067th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, waylay means “To lie in wait for and attack from ambush” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in waylay?
| Letters | 6: W-A-Y-L-A-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 26 million words; the 154,067th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 waylay?
Waylay appears about once in every 26 million words in written English, the 154,067th 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 waylay?
- UK /ˌweɪˈleɪ/
- UK /ˈweɪleɪ/
- US /ˈweɪleɪ/
Waylay has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-waylay.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-waylay.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-waylay2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with waylay?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as waylay from its last stressed vowel (/eɪleɪ/):
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 waylay
- waylays present, singular, he/she/it
- waylaying participle, present
- waylaid participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does waylay mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To lie in wait for and attack from ambush.
- 2
To accost or intercept unexpectedly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Waylay in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | embusquer, comploter |
| German | wegelagern, auflauern |
| Portuguese | interpelar |
| Spanish | abordar, coger por banda |
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 waylay come from?
From way + lay, likely a calque of Middle Dutch wegelagen (“besetting of ways, lying in wait with evil or hostile intent along public ways”). Compare Middle Low German wegelagen, German wegelagern (“to waylay; rob”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).