# soften vs softly

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### soften
*verb · IPA /ˈsɒfən/ · frequency rank #18,188*
To make something soft or softer.

### softly
*adverb · IPA /ˈsɔftli/ · frequency rank #10,133*
In a soft manner; gently.

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