approximately

/əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.li/

//əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.li// adv

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

"approximately" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“approximately” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,281. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,281
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.

Corpus desk

Index EN-approximately · approximately · English

approximately · rank #2,281 · 18 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,281
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH approved

Nearest frequency peer: approved (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “approximately”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “approximately” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

approximately vs approximate
85% similar

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

Key facts for approximately
PropertyValue
Headwordapproximately
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.li/
Letters13
Frequency rank#2,281
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “approximately”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “approved” (#2,280), “argument” (#2,282), “applications” (#2,279). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “approximately” is #2,281. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around approximately (IPA /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #2,281 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for approximately, with forms such as "apporximately", "approixmately", and "approxiamtely". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "approximate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From approximate + -ly. The correct English form is approximately, spelled A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how approximately appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. approximately 60 beats per minute
  2. In every box of matches there are approximately 40 matchsticks.

Etymology

From approximate + -ly.

Synonyms

-ishaboutall butalmostapproachingaroundby and largecircacloseclose toessentiallyfor all practical purposesfornighgive or takeimpreciselyjust aboutkind oflooselymore or lessnearlynearnearaboutnigh onoddor soplus or minusroundlyroughlysaysome-somesort ofthereaboutvirtuallywell-nigh±

Antonyms

exactly

This word in other languages

aproximadamente(Español)plus ou moins(Français)ungefähr(Deutsch)aproximadamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apporximately
  • approixmately
  • approxiamtely
  • approximaetly
  • approximatelly
  • approximatelyy
  • approximateyl
  • approximatley
  • approximattely
  • approximmately
  • approximtaely
  • approxmiately
  • approxximately
  • apprroximately
  • apprxoimately
  • aproximately
  • aprpoximately
  • paproximately

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of approximately - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apporximately2approixmately2approxiamtely2approximaetly2approximatelly1approximatelyy1approximateyl2approximatley2
Edit distance from "approximately"

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 "approximately"?
"approximately" is spelled A-P-P-R-O-X-I-M-A-T-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.li/.
What does "approximately" mean?
As an adverb, "approximately" means: Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.
What words are commonly confused with "approximately"?
"approximately" is commonly confused with "approximate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "approximately"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "approximately" is /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət.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 "approximately"?
From approximate + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "approximately", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

organizations#2,169unfortunately#2,416opportunities#2,456communication#2,103

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

requirements18 variantscomfortable18 variantsconservative18 variantsinstitutions18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list