burly

/ˈbɜːli/

//ˈbɜːli// adj

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

"burly" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“burly” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,059 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#36,059
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Large, well-built, and muscular.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

burly vs buy
60% similar
burly vs busy
60% similar
burly vs burn
60% similar

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

Key facts for burly
PropertyValue
Headwordburly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɜːli/
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,059
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “burly” 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). burly 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 burly is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɜːli/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,059 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for burly, with forms such as "bburly", "bruly", and "bulry". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "buy", "busy", "burn", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English burly, burely, borly, burlich, borlich, borlic (“tall, stately”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots burely, burly (“rough, stout, sturdy, strong”). Perhaps from Old English *būrlīċ (“noble, stately”, literally “bowerly”), equivalen… The correct English form is burly, spelled B-U-R-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Large, well-built, and muscular.
  2. 2
    Great, amazing, unbelievable.
  3. 3
    Of large magnitude, either good or bad, and sometimes both.

Etymology

From Middle English burly, burely, borly, burlich, borlich, borlic (“tall, stately”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots burely, burly (“rough, stout, sturdy, strong”). Perhaps from Old English *būrlīċ (“noble, stately”, literally “bowerly”), equivalent to bower + -ly; or from Old English *byrlīċ (“high, raised”), from byre (“raised area, mound”), cognate with Old High German burlīh, purlīh (“lofty, elevated, high, exalted”), related to Old High German burjan (“to raise, lift, push up”), English burgeon. However, Irish burla (“bundle, pack; burly person”) points to a different origin.

This word in other languages

corpulento(Español)fort(Français)kräftig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bburly,bruly,bulry,burlly,burlyy,burrly,buryl,ubrly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bburly1bruly2bulry2burlly1burlyy1burrly1buryl2ubrly2
Edit distance from "burly"

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 "burly"?
"burly" is spelled B-U-R-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɜːli/.
What does "burly" mean?
As an adjective, "burly" means: Large, well-built, and muscular.
What words are commonly confused with "burly"?
"burly" is commonly confused with "buy", "busy", "burn". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "burly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "burly" is /ˈbɜːli/. 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 "burly"?
From Middle English burly, burely, borly, burlich, borlich, borlic (“tall, stately”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots burely, burly (“rough, stout, sturdy, strong”). Perhaps from Old English *būrlīċ (“noble, stately”, literally “bowerly”),... 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 “burly”

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

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