characteristically

adv

"characteristically" is a 18-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“characteristically” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,819 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#34,819
frequency rank, English
18
letters
27
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.

Key facts for characteristically
PropertyValue
Headwordcharacteristically
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
Letters18
Frequency rank#34,819
Misspellings tracked27
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “characteristically” 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). characteristically 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 characteristically is 18 letters long, classified as an adverb. Corpus data places it at rank #34,819 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "In a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 27 likely wrong-spelling variants for characteristically, with forms such as "cahracteristically", "ccharacteristically", and "chaarcteristically". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From characteristic + -ally. The correct English form is characteristically, spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R-I-S-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.

Etymology

From characteristic + -ally.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahracteristically,ccharacteristically,chaarcteristically,characcteristically,characetristically,characteirstically,characterisitcally,characterisstically,characteristcially,characteristiaclly,characteristicallyy,characteristicaly,characteristicalyl,characteristiccally,characteristiclaly,characteristtically,characteritsically,characterristically,charactersitically,charactreistically,charactteristically,charatceristically,charcateristically,charracteristically,chharacteristically,chraacteristically,hcaracteristically

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahracteristically2ccharacteristically1chaarcteristically2characcteristically1characetristically2characteirstically2characterisitcally2characterisstically1
Edit distance from "characteristically"

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 "characteristically"?
"characteristically" is spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R-I-S-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y.
What does "characteristically" mean?
As an adverb, "characteristically" means: In a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.
What are common misspellings of "characteristically"?
Common misspellings include "cahracteristically", "ccharacteristically", "chaarcteristically", "characcteristically", "characetristically". The correct spelling is "characteristically".
What is the origin of the word "characteristically"?
From characteristic + -ally. 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 “characteristically”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R-I-S-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y - 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.

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

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