Pronunciation: [flˈe͡ɪz] (IPA) 
The word "flays" is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription of /fleɪz/. The "fl" combination in this word produces the "f" sound, while the "a" sound is represented by the letter "a" itself. The "y" at the end of the word indicates a long "ɪ" sound. The word "flays" means to strip off the skin of something, often an animal. It is commonly used in the culinary field, particularly in the preparation of meat.
The term "flays" primarily functions as a verb, usually in the third person singular present tense form "flays" or as "flay" in the infinitive, past, or present participle forms. Flaying refers to the act of removing the skin or outer covering of a living being or an animal, typically through a process involving cutting, slicing, or peeling. This action is often undertaken for various purposes such as getting rid of the skin to use it in different materials, tanning processes, taxidermy, or even as a method of punishment or torture.
In a figurative sense, "flays" can also be employed to describe the act of severely criticizing or rebuking someone, usually in a vehement and merciless manner. This connotation portrays a sense of harshness and intensity in the critique, akin to metaphorically stripping off layers from a person's character or actions.
Moreover, "flays" can be employed metaphorically in a broader sense, representing the idea of forcefully exposing or revealing the truth or essence of a situation, concept, or matter. The term often conveys the idea of unveiling hidden or concealed aspects, sometimes leading to a profound understanding or recognition of the subject matter.
In summary, the verb "flays" denotes the act of removing skin from a living being or animal, criticizing someone severely, or metaphorically unveiling and exposing concealed aspects of a subject.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "flay" derives from the Old English word "flēan", which can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "flaunōną". This Proto-Germanic root means "to skin", and it is related to similar words in other Germanic languages such as the Middle Dutch "vlaen" and the Old Norse "flá". Thus, "flays" indicates the third-person singular present tense form of "flay", meaning to strip off the skin or to peel.
