When the stranded wire begins to spread apart in the installation process, this is referred to as ?

• A. splay
• B. flare
• C. fray
• D. spread

Answer: (A)

Splay is the term that describes strands spreading outward from a stranded wire during installation. When the individual strands begin to pull apart instead of staying tight as a bundle, they “splay.” This is the precise word for that behavior because it conveys the outward dispersion of the strands themselves, which directly affects how the wire will terminate and make contact. Other words don’t fit as well: fray refers to unraveling fibers in fabrics, not metal strands; flare suggests a widening of an opening or tip rather than the internal strands spreading; spread is too generic and doesn’t capture the specific spreading of the wire’s strands. In practice, splaying can lead to poor connections, so procedures like properly twisting or using ferrules/crimped ends help keep the strands aligned for a solid termination.