accidentally

/ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/

//ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li// adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"accidentally" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accidentally” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,911. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,911
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

accidentally vs accidently
83% similar
accidentally vs accidental
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for accidentally
PropertyValue
Headwordaccidentally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/
Letters12
Frequency rank#4,911
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accidentally” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). accidentally lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around accidentally (IPA /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #4,911 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for accidentally, with forms such as "accdientally", "acciddentally", and "accidenatlly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "accidently", "accidental", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From accidental + -ly. The correct English form is accidentally, spelled A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.
  2. 2
    Unintentionally.

Etymology

From accidental + -ly.

Synonyms

accidentallyadventitiouslyby accidentby chancefortuitouslyon accident

Antonyms

intentionallydeliberatelydesignedlyon purposepurposelyadvisedlyby choiceby designadvertentlyconsciouslyknowinglypurposefullyselfconsciouslystrategicallystudiouslyvolitionallyvoluntarilywilfullywith awarenesswittingly

This word in other languages

accidentalmente(Español)accidentellement(Français)zufällig(Deutsch)acidentalmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • accdientally
  • acciddentally
  • accidenatlly
  • accidenntally
  • accidentallyy
  • accidentaly
  • accidentalyl
  • accidentlaly
  • accidenttally
  • accidetnally
  • accidnetally
  • acciedntally
  • acicdentally
  • acidentally
  • cacidentally

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accidentally - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

accdientally2acciddentally1accidenatlly2accidenntally1accidentallyy1accidentaly1accidentalyl2accidentlaly2
Edit distance from "accidentally"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "accidentally"?
"accidentally" is spelled A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/.
What does "accidentally" mean?
As an adverb, "accidentally" means: In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.
What words are commonly confused with "accidentally"?
"accidentally" is commonly confused with "accidently", "accidental". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "accidentally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accidentally" is /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accidentally"?
From accidental + -ly. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “accidentally”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “accidently” - see the side-by-side comparison. accidentally vs accidently
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list