blindly

/ˈblaɪndli/

//ˈblaɪndli// adv

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

"blindly" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blindly” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,031 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#19,031
frequency rank, English
7
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a blind manner; without sight.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

blindly vs blinds
71% similar
blindly vs bluntly
71% similar
blindly vs blind
71% similar

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

Key facts for blindly
PropertyValue
Headwordblindly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈblaɪndli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,031
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blindly” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for blindly is 7 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblaɪndli/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,031 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for blindly, with forms such as "bblindly", "bilndly", and "blidnly". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "blinds", "bluntly", "blind", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English blindly, blyndly, from Old English blindlīċe (“in a blind manner; blindly; rashly”), equivalent to blind + -ly. Cognate with Swedish blindligt (“blindly”), Icelandic blindlega (“blindly”). Compare also West Frisian blindich (“blindly”), … The correct English form is blindly, spelled B-L-I-N-D-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a blind manner; without sight.
  2. 2
    Without consideration or question.

Etymology

From Middle English blindly, blyndly, from Old English blindlīċe (“in a blind manner; blindly; rashly”), equivalent to blind + -ly. Cognate with Swedish blindligt (“blindly”), Icelandic blindlega (“blindly”). Compare also West Frisian blindich (“blindly”), Dutch blindelings (“blindly”), German blindlings (“blindly”).

This word in other languages

ciegamente(Español)à l’aveuglette(Français)cegamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bblindly,bilndly,blidnly,blinddly,blindlly,blindlyy,blindyl,blinldy,blinndly,bllindly,blnidly,lbindly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blindly - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bblindly1bilndly2blidnly2blinddly1blindlly1blindlyy1blindyl2blinldy2
Edit distance from "blindly"

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 "blindly"?
"blindly" is spelled B-L-I-N-D-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblaɪndli/.
What does "blindly" mean?
As an adverb, "blindly" means: In a blind manner; without sight.
What words are commonly confused with "blindly"?
"blindly" is commonly confused with "blinds", "bluntly", "blind". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blindly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blindly" is /ˈblaɪndli/. 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 "blindly"?
From Middle English blindly, blyndly, from Old English blindlīċe (“in a blind manner; blindly; rashly”), equivalent to blind + -ly. Cognate with Swedish blindligt (“blindly”), Icelandic blindlega (“blindly”). Compare also West Frisian blindich (“b... 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.

Using “blindly”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-I-N-D-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈblaɪndli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “blinds” - see the side-by-side comparison. blindly vs blinds
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list