at the very least
"at-the-very-least" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“at the very least” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 17
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - at least; as an absolute minimum; emphatic form of at the least.
Corpus desk
Index EN-at-the-very-least · at the very least · English
at the very least · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 17 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | at the very least |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| Letters | 17 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “at the very least” in English
Rare enough to double-check
at the very least is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "at least; as an absolute minimum; emphatic form of at the least.".
at the very least doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is at the very least, spelled A-T- -T-H-E- -V-E-R-Y- -L-E-A-S-T.
Definition
- 1at least; as an absolute minimum; emphatic form of at the least.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how at the very least appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
After all, if we think of the Vatican as a vast and hugely successful multinational corporation, then this interview would appear to be the equivalent of a profits warning. At the very least, it would seem to be tinkering with the formula of the biggest spiritual brand in the world, analogous to Coca-Cola changing its famous recipe in 1985.
Palace made it 3-1 on 81 minutes, Nketiah nipping in to finish nicely, then doing a no-celebration pose in front of the away fans. Nketiah grew up a couple of miles from the Den. It felt, at the very least, like a neighbourly overture, and in violent contrast to the opening act at the other end.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.