desperately

/ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/

//ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli// adv

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

"desperately" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“desperately” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,336. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,336
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

desperately vs desperate
82% similar

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

Key facts for desperately
PropertyValue
Headworddesperately
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/
Letters11
Frequency rank#7,336
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “desperately” 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). desperately lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around desperately (IPA /ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #7,336 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for desperately, with forms such as "ddesperately", "depserately", and "deseprately". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "desperate", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From desperate + -ly. The correct English form is desperately, spelled D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly.
  2. 2
    extremely

Etymology

From desperate + -ly.

This word in other languages

désespérément(Français)verzweifelt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddesperately
  • depserately
  • deseprately
  • despeartely
  • desperaetly
  • desperatelly
  • desperatelyy
  • desperateyl
  • desperatley
  • desperattely
  • desperrately
  • despertaely
  • despperately
  • despreately
  • dessperately
  • dseperately
  • edsperately

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddesperately1depserately2deseprately2despeartely2desperaetly2desperatelly1desperatelyy1desperateyl2
Edit distance from "desperately"

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 "desperately"?
"desperately" is spelled D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/.
What does "desperately" mean?
As an adverb, "desperately" means: In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly.
What words are commonly confused with "desperately"?
"desperately" is commonly confused with "desperate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "desperately"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "desperately" is /ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/. 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 "desperately"?
From desperate + -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 “desperately”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “desperate” - see the side-by-side comparison. desperately vs desperate
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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