# merely vs merrily

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### merely
*adverb · IPA /ˈmɪəli/ · frequency rank #3,828*
Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.

### merrily
*adverb · IPA /ˈmɛɹɪli/ · frequency rank #35,409*
In a cheerful or merry way.

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