Which to use
“distinct” is an adjective and “distinctly” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,369
- “distinct” frequency rank
- #14,315
- “distinctly” frequency rank
- 18684
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | distinct | distinctly |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Capable of being perceived very clearly. | In a distinct manner. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set distinct and distinctly apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: distinct is /dɪˈstɪŋkt/ while distinctly is /dɪˈstɪŋktli/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “distinct” sits inside “distinctly”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18684, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
distinct is recorded at frequency rank #4,369, classified as anadj, pronounced /dɪˈstɪŋkt/. distinctly is at rank #14,315, tagged as anadv, pronounced /dɪˈstɪŋktli/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 18684, this pair ranks #443,217 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of distinct vs distinctly
Shared letters: cdinst. Private to "distinct": -. Private to "distinctly": ly.
"distinct" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC · "distinctly" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- distinct ← ddistinct · disitnct · disstinct · disticnt · distincct · distinctt · distinnct · distintc
- distinctly ← ddistinctly · disitnctly · disstinctly · disticntly · distincctly · distinclty · distinctlly · distinctlyy
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "distinct" and "distinctly" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "distinct" or "distinctly"?
Remembering distinct vs distinctly
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “distinct”; for an adverb, it's “distinctly”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “distinct” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable