# deathly vs deftly

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### deathly
*adjective · IPA /ˈdɛθli/ · frequency rank #32,344*
Appearing as though dead, or on the verge of death.

### deftly
*adverb · IPA /ˈdɛftli/ · frequency rank #34,853*
In a deft manner; quickly and neatly in action.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deathly-vs-deftly