Which to use
“outrageous” is an adjective and “outrageously” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,100
- “outrageous” frequency rank
- #37,134
- “outrageously” frequency rank
- 47234
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | outrageous | outrageously |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Violating morality or decency; provoking indignation or affront. | In an outrageous manner; to an outrageous degree. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set outrageous and outrageously apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: outrageous is anadjective and outrageouslyanadverb. On the page they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “outrageous” sits inside “outrageously”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47234, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
outrageous is recorded at frequency rank #10,100, classified as anadj, pronounced /aʊtˈɹeɪdʒəs/. outrageously is at rank #37,134, tagged as anadv.
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 47234, this pair ranks #204,329 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of outrageous vs outrageously
Shared letters: aegorstu. Private to "outrageous": -. Private to "outrageously": ly.
"outrageous" · 10 letters · shape VVCCVCVVVC · "outrageously" · 12 letters · shape VVCCVCVVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- outrageous ← oturageous · ourtageous · outargeous · outraegous · outrageosu · outrageouss · outrageuos · outraggeous
- outrageously ← oturageously · ourtageously · outargeously · outraegously · outrageosuly · outrageoulsy · outrageouslly · outrageouslyy
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "outrageous" and "outrageously" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "outrageous" or "outrageously"?
Remembering outrageous vs outrageously
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “outrageous”; for an adverb, it's “outrageously”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “outrageous” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable