Pronunciation: [hˈə͡ʊli] (IPA) 
The word "holey" is often misspelled as "holy." However, it is pronounced differently and has a different meaning. "Holey" means to have holes, while "holy" means sacred or deserving of worship. The IPA phonetic transcription for "holey" is /həʊli/, with the emphasis on the first syllable. The "e" at the end of the word is pronounced like the "e" in "meh" or "less." So remember, when talking about something with holes, spell it "holey."
Holey is an adjective used to describe something that is riddled or permeated with holes or perforations. The word is derived from the noun "hole," which refers to an opening or gap in a solid surface or material.
When something is described as holey, it means it possesses a large number of holes or is marked by the presence of perforations throughout its structure. This characteristic can be observed in various materials such as fabrics, paper, or even solid objects like cheese or bread. For instance, a holey t-shirt may have multiple small or large holes due to wear and tear or deliberate design choices.
The term holey can also refer to a situation or condition where there are numerous gaps, deficiencies, or flaws. When used metaphorically, holey can describe a situation or argument that is weak, incomplete, illogical, or riddled with errors. It implies that there are a significant number of omissions or inadequacies within the subject being discussed.
In summary, the word holey pertains to something that is characterized by the presence of numerous holes or perforations, whether physically or metaphorically. It is commonly used to describe objects, materials, or situations marked by gaps, deficiencies, or flaws.
* 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 "holey" has its origins in the Middle English word "hooly" which meant "full of holes" or "perforated". This term eventually evolved into "holey" in modern English. The root of the word is the Old English word "hol" which means "hole" or "hollow". The suffix "-ey" is a Middle English variation of the suffix "-y" which is used to form adjectives. Therefore, "holey" describes something that is characterized by having holes or being full of holes.
