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 May 6, 2026) - at least; as an absolute minimum; emphatic form of at the least.
| 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) |
Where “at the very least” sits in English frequency
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “at the very least”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-T- -T-H-E- -V-E-R-Y- -L-E-A-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.