critically
/ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/
"critically" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“critically” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,532 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #8,532
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a critical manner; with, or in terms of, criticism.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | critically |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #8,532 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “critically” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for critically is 10 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,532 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 critically, with forms such as "ccritically", "cirtically", and "criitcally". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "critical", "clinically", "criminally", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From critical + -ly. The correct English form is critically, spelled C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y.
Definition
- 1In a critical manner; with, or in terms of, criticism.
- 2In terms of critique, review, of or by critics
- 3With close discernment; accurately; exactly.
- 4At a crisis or critical time; in a situation, place, or condition of decisive consequence.
- 5Requiring immediate attention; likely to cause a collapse.
Etymology
From critical + -ly.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccritically,cirtically,criitcally,critcially,critiaclly,criticallyy,criticaly,criticalyl,criticcally,criticlaly,crittically,crritically,crtiically,rcitically
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of critically - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “critically”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “critical” - see the side-by-side comparison. critically vs critical
- 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.