clinically

adv

"clinically" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clinically” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,320 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#17,320
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a clinical manner: dispassionately or analytically.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clinically vs critically
80% similar
clinically vs clinical
80% similar

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

Key facts for clinically
PropertyValue
Headwordclinically
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
Letters10
Frequency rank#17,320
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clinically” 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). clinically 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 clinically is 10 letters long, classified as an adverb. Corpus data places it at rank #17,320 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 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for clinically, with forms such as "cclinically", "cilnically", and "cliincally". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "critically", "clinical", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clinical + -ly. The correct English form is clinically, spelled C-L-I-N-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a clinical manner: dispassionately or analytically.
  2. 2
    In the setting of a medical clinic; in a clinical setting; (of a health condition) to a degree high enough to be relevant to clinical practice.
  3. 3
    At a person's bedside.

Etymology

From clinical + -ly.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cclinically,cilnically,cliincally,clincially,cliniaclly,clinicallyy,clinicaly,clinicalyl,cliniccally,cliniclaly,clinnically,cllinically,clniically,lcinically

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cclinically1cilnically2cliincally2clincially2cliniaclly2clinicallyy1clinicaly1clinicalyl2
Edit distance from "clinically"

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 "clinically"?
"clinically" is spelled C-L-I-N-I-C-A-L-L-Y.
What does "clinically" mean?
As an adverb, "clinically" means: In a clinical manner: dispassionately or analytically.
What words are commonly confused with "clinically"?
"clinically" is commonly confused with "critically", "clinical". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "clinically"?
From clinical + -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.

Using “clinically”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-I-N-I-C-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “critically” - see the side-by-side comparison. clinically vs critically
  • 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