# subtle vs subtly

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### subtle
*adjective · IPA /ˈsʌtl̩/ · frequency rank #6,301*
Senses relating to tangible things.

### subtly
*adverb · IPA /ˈsʌt.li/ · frequency rank #19,709*
With subtleness, in a subtle manner; with cleverness rather than brute force.

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