# cleanly

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈklɛnli/ · frequency rank #28,152

## Definitions
1. Being habitually clean, practising good hygiene.
2. Cleansing; fitted to remove moisture; dirt, etc.
3. Adroit; dexterous; artful.

## Etymology
From Middle English clenly, clenliche, clanly, from Old English clǣnlīċ (“cleanly, pure, excellent”), equivalent to clean + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **cleans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-cleans)
- **cleary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-cleary)
- **clearly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-clearly)
- **cleanse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-cleanse)
- **cleanup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleanly-vs-cleanup)
- **clean** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clean-vs-cleanly)
- **clancy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clancy-vs-cleanly)
- **cleaned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleaned-vs-cleanly)
- **cleaner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleaner-vs-cleanly)
- **cheaply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cheaply-vs-cleanly)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ccleanly`, `celanly`, `claenly`, `clealny`, `cleanlly`, `cleanlyy`, `cleannly`, `cleanyl`, `clenaly`, `clleanly`, `lceanly`

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