dearly

/ˈdɪɹli/

//ˈdɪɹli// adv

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

"dearly" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dearly” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,381. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,381
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a dear or precious manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dearly · dearly · English

dearly · rank #15,381 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,381
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH crossroads

Nearest frequency peer: crossroads (-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 “dearly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dearly” 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).

dearly vs derby
67% similar
dearly vs diary
67% similar
dearly vs Derry
50% similar

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

Key facts for dearly
PropertyValue
Headworddearly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈdɪɹli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#15,381
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dearly”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dearlylands 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 “crossroads” (#15,380), “defiance” (#15,382), “crib” (#15,379). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dearly” is #15,381. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dearly (IPA /ˈdɪɹli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #15,381 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dearly, with forms such as "daerly", "ddearly", and "dealry". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "derby", "diary", "Derry", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -ly. The correct English form is dearly, spelled D-E-A-R-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a dear or precious manner.
  2. 2
    In a dear or expensive manner.
  3. 3
    At great expense; dear.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the funeral of our dearly beloved sister
  2. a dearly priced item

Etymology

From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -ly.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • daerly
  • ddearly
  • dealry
  • dearlly
  • dearlyy
  • dearrly
  • dearyl
  • deraly
  • edarly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

daerly2ddearly1dealry2dearlly1dearlyy1dearrly1dearyl2deraly2
Edit distance from "dearly"

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 "dearly"?
"dearly" is spelled D-E-A-R-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪɹli/.
What does "dearly" mean?
As an adverb, "dearly" means: In a dear or precious manner.
What words are commonly confused with "dearly"?
"dearly" is commonly confused with "derby", "diary", "Derry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dearly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dearly" is /ˈdɪɹli/. 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 "dearly"?
From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -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 "dearly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chunks#15,364faggot#15,406bowler#15,354bodied#15,352

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

dipping9 variantsconcede9 variantsEstonia9 variantsCassidy9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list