alternatively
/ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv.li/
"alternatively" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“alternatively” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,435 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #9,435
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in an alternative way
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | alternatively |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv.li/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #9,435 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “alternatively” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for alternatively is 13 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv.li/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,435 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for alternatively, with forms such as "aletrnatively", "allternatively", and "altenratively". 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, "alternative", "alternately", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From alternative + -ly. The correct English form is alternatively, spelled A-L-T-E-R-N-A-T-I-V-E-L-Y.
Definition
- 1in an alternative way
- 2Used to link a pair of opposing possibilities.
Etymology
From alternative + -ly.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aletrnatively,allternatively,altenratively,alterantively,alternaitvely,alternatievly,alternativelly,alternativelyy,alternativeyl,alternativley,alternativvely,alternattively,alternatviely,alternnatively,alterntaively,alterrnatively,altrenatively,altternatively,atlernatively,laternatively
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of alternatively - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “alternatively”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-L-T-E-R-N-A-T-I-V-E-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “alternative” - see the side-by-side comparison. alternatively vs alternative
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.