cleverly

/ˈklɛvəli/

//ˈklɛvəli// adv

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

"cleverly" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cleverly” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,929. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,929
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Wittily; in a tricky manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cleverly · cleverly · English

cleverly · rank #22,929 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,929
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cleopatra

Nearest frequency peer: Cleopatra (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “cleverly”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “cleverly” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cleverly vs clever
75% similar
cleverly vs clearly
75% similar

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

Key facts for cleverly
PropertyValue
Headwordcleverly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈklɛvəli/
Letters8
Frequency rank#22,929
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cleverly”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Cleopatra” (#22,928), “clocked” (#22,930), “circumference” (#22,926). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cleverly” is #22,929. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around cleverly (IPA /ˈklɛvəli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #22,929 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for cleverly, with forms such as "ccleverly", "celverly", and "cleevrly". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "clever", "clearly", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clever + -ly. The correct English form is cleverly, spelled C-L-E-V-E-R-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wittily; in a tricky manner.
  2. 2
    Intelligently directed to a purpose.
  3. 3
    Completely, fully.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cleverly appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He joked cleverly with each guest.
  2. Cleverly, he found ways of ingratiating himself with all the important guests.

Etymology

From clever + -ly.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccleverly
  • celverly
  • cleevrly
  • clevelry
  • cleverlly
  • cleverlyy
  • cleverrly
  • cleveryl
  • clevrely
  • clevverly
  • clleverly
  • clveerly
  • lceverly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cleverly - 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.

ccleverly1celverly2cleevrly2clevelry2cleverlly1cleverlyy1cleverrly1cleveryl2
Edit distance from "cleverly"

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 "cleverly"?
"cleverly" is spelled C-L-E-V-E-R-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɛvəli/.
What does "cleverly" mean?
As an adverb, "cleverly" means: Wittily; in a tricky manner.
What words are commonly confused with "cleverly"?
"cleverly" is commonly confused with "clever", "clearly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cleverly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cleverly" is /ˈklɛvəli/. 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 "cleverly"?
From clever + -ly. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cleverly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

charting#22,924delicacy#22,945demolish#22,946bruising#22,910

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Cleopatra13 variantscomposure13 variantsbranched13 variantsbarometer13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list