cay

/ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/

//ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː// noun

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

The verdict

“cay” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #77,776 among 3,948 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,776
frequency rank, Portuguese
3,948
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ilha baixa e pequena formada principalmente por corais e areia

Key facts for cay
PropertyValue
Headwordcay
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/
Letters3
Frequency rank#77,776
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cay” sits in Portuguese 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). cay lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

cay is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #77,776 among 3,948 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "ilha baixa e pequena formada principalmente por corais e areia".

No generated misspelling entries exist for cay in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Portuguese form is cay, spelled C-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    ilha baixa e pequena formada principalmente por corais e areia

Synonyms

key

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 Portuguese corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cay"?
"cay" is spelled C-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/.
What does "cay" mean?
As a noun, "cay" means: ilha baixa e pequena formada principalmente por corais e areia
How do you pronounce "cay"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cay" is /ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cay" come from?
"cay" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “cay”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is C-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkeɪ/, /ˈkiː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words

Other uncommon Portuguese words near this rank

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