Quay is pronounced key, even though its spelling makes many readers expect something like kway or kay. This is one of those words where English kept an older, French influenced spelling, while the pronunciation developed differently over time.
A quay is a platform beside water where ships can load or unload. In modern English, the word is said like key. So you might say, The boat is tied up at the quay.
The mismatch between spelling and sound is easier to understand when you remember that English has borrowed many words from French and has not always updated their spelling to match later pronunciation. That is why some words look one way but sound quite different.
- Spelling: quay
- Pronunciation: key
- Meaning: a landing place beside the water
A useful contrast is this: quay rhymes with key, not with day. If you learn that one comparison, the word becomes much easier to remember.
