# barely

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈbɛə(ɹ).li/ · frequency rank #3,041

## Definitions
1. By a small margin.
2. Almost not at all.
3. Recently, just now.
4. Merely.
5. Openly, clearly, plainly.

## Etymology
From Middle English baarly, bareliche, barely, barly, from Old English bærlīċe, equivalent to bare + -ly. Compare Danish bare (“only, just”), Norwegian bare (“only, just”).

## Easily confused with
- **Barry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-barry)
- **Basel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-basel)
- **burly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-burly)
- **barrel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-barrel)
- **Barney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-barney)
- **barley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-barley)
- **Barkley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-barkley)
- **bravely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-bravely)
- **Blakely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barely-vs-blakely)
- **bare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bare-vs-barely)
- **badly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-barely)
- **bagel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bagel-vs-barely)
- **Babel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/babel-vs-barely)
- **bally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bally-vs-barely)
- **bakery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bakery-vs-barely)
- **bagels** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bagels-vs-barely)
- **Barclay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barclay-vs-barely)
- **barbell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/barbell-vs-barely)

## Common misspellings (8)
`abrely`, `baerly`, `barelly`, `barelyy`, `bareyl`, `barrely`, `bbarely`, `braely`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/barely