Bury vs Burry: What’s the Difference?

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Bury vs burry is a common spelling slip because bury is pronounced like berry, so the u feels out of place. The everyday word is bury, spelled with one r, and burry is a different and much rarer word. This guide explains what each one means, why the confusion happens, and how to spell buried and burying correctly.

What does “bury” mean?

Bury is a verb meaning to place something in the earth, to hide it, or to put it behind you. Merriam-Webster lists senses such as placing a dead body in the ground, hiding something by covering it, finishing with a disagreement, and immersing yourself in an activity. Its forms are bury, buries, buried and burying.

• The dog will bury the bone under the tree.
• They agreed to bury their differences.
• She buried herself in her studies.

It comes from the Old English byrgan and is related to an old Germanic root probably meaning to conceal. It has been used in English since before the 12th century.

What does “burry” mean?

Burry is a rare adjective meaning full of burs or prickly. Merriam-Webster lists three senses: containing burs, prickly, and, of speech, marked by a burr. Its comparative forms are burrier and burriest. It is related to the noun burr, and the double r is what separates it visually from bury.

• Our socks were covered in burry seeds.
• The fleece was burry after the walk.

You are unlikely to need it in everyday writing, but it does appear in descriptions of plants, wool and rough textures.

Bury vs burry: which is correct?

Bury is correct whenever you mean putting something in the ground or hiding it, and burry is correct only when you mean prickly or full of burs. Because the first meaning is far more common, most people who type burry have made a spelling slip. If a sentence has an action in it, you want the verb bury.

A quick test: can you replace the word with hide or cover? If so, you need bury. If you can replace it with prickly, you need burry.

Why do people spell bury as burry?

People spell bury as burry because many English words with a short vowel before -ry double the r, such as hurry and worry, and because bury sounds like berry. Merriam-Webster gives the pronunciation as BER-ee, so the u does not match the sound. The doubled-r pattern feels natural, but bury is an exception.

The mistake is even more common in the verb forms. The correct past tense is buried, not burried, and the correct present participle is burying, not burrying.

A helpful habit is to type the verb forms from memory once, slowly: bury, buries, buried, burying. If any of them has two r’s, it is the misspelling.

Is bury the same as the place Bury?

With a capital B, Bury can be the name of a town, such as Bury in Greater Manchester, England. Burry Port is a different place, a town in Wales, and the two names are spelled differently on purpose. The capital letter is your clue that it is a name and not the everyday verb.

If you are writing about a place, check its exact spelling in an atlas or on an official website before publishing.

What are common phrases with bury?

Bury appears in many fixed phrases, and every one uses the single-r spelling. To bury the hatchet means to make peace after a quarrel. To bury your head in the sand means to ignore a problem. To be buried in work means to have a huge amount to do.

• The neighbours finally buried the hatchet.
• He buried his head in the sand about the bills.
• I am buried in emails this week.

In each phrase, you can replace bury with hide or cover and the idea still makes sense, which is a useful check.

How can you remember which one to use?

Ask whether the word describes an action or a texture. Actions like hiding and covering use bury, and textures like prickly use burry. The memory tricks below add two more shortcuts.

What are the most common mistakes?

• They burried the treasure on the island. → They buried the treasure on the island.
• She is burrying her face in her hands. → She is burying her face in her hands.
• We will burry the time capsule tomorrow. → We will bury the time capsule tomorrow.
• The bury seeds clung to my coat. → The burry seeds clung to my coat.
• He was burried in paperwork. → He was buried in paperwork.

Memory tricks

• Say berry, spell bury. The word sounds like berry, but the first letters are b-u, not b-e.
• One r for the verb. Bury, buried and burying all keep a single r. Two r’s belong to burr and burry.
• Burr, burry. Burry comes from burr, and both carry the double r that points to prickly things.

Frequently asked questions

Is it bury or burry?

Bury is the verb meaning to put in the ground or hide. Burry is a rare adjective meaning prickly or full of burs.

Is it buried or burried?

Buried is correct. Burried is a misspelling.

Is burry a real word?

Yes, but it is rare. Merriam-Webster lists burry as an adjective meaning containing burs or prickly.

How do you pronounce bury?

Bury is pronounced to rhyme with berry, as BER-ee.

What is the present participle of bury?

The present participle is burying, with one r.

Conclusion

Bury vs burry comes down to meaning. Use bury, buried and burying, with a single r, for hiding or putting something in the ground, and save burry for prickly, bur-covered things. If you are unsure, try swapping in hide.

Share this with someone who mixes up bury and burry.