alternatively
/ɔlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv.li/adverb
alternatively is spelled A-L-T-E-R-N-A-T-I-V-E-L-Y: 13 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, alternatively means “in an alternative way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in alternatively?
| Letters | 13: A-L-T-E-R-N-A-T-I-V-E-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.5 times per million words; the 9,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is alternatively?
Alternatively appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce alternatively?
- UK /ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv.li/
- US /ɔlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv.li/
- /ɑlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv.li/
Alternatively has 5 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-alternatively.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What does alternatively mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
in an alternative way
Thus, we are creating a new class struggle between those who live within the social system and those who are marginalized or wish to live alternatively.
- 2
Used to link a pair of opposing possibilities.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Alternatively in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense in an alternative way:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | alternativ, andernfalls, andererseits, beziehungsweise, ersatzweise, hilfsweise |
| Portuguese | alternativamente |
| Spanish | si no, en lugar de |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does alternatively come from?
From alternative + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).