Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell by

By is spelled B-Y.

What it means: Near or next to.

In a sentence: The cat sat by the window. ▶

Not to be confused with: buy, bye, a different word.

Same family: bystander, bypass, byproduct, nearby, bygone. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “By” comes from Old English “bi,” meaning ‘near’ or ‘around.’ Over time, one of its special uses in English became the phrase “set by,” meaning to save or keep something in reserve for the future.

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Words like this

where · whose · new · blue · read · flower · sell · there

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