diligently

/ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/

//ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“diligently” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,426. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,426
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a diligent manner, with appropriate effort, carefully.

Corpus desk

Index EN-diligently · diligently · English

diligently · rank #24,426 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #24,426
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dieting

Nearest frequency peer: dieting (-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 “diligently”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “diligently” 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).

diligently vs diligent
80% similar

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

Key facts for diligently
PropertyValue
Headworddiligently
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,426
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “diligently”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “dieting” (#24,425), “Dinah” (#24,427), “devolved” (#24,424). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “diligently” is #24,426. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around diligently (IPA /ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #24,426 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In a diligent manner, with appropriate effort, carefully.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for diligently, with forms such as "ddiligently", "diilgently", and "dilgiently". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "diligent", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From diligent + -ly. The correct English form is diligently, spelled D-I-L-I-G-E-N-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a diligent manner, with appropriate effort, carefully.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Instead, empty bags were folded diligently into the corners of underpacked suitcases, waiting to be jammed full with the familiar objects of home.

Etymology

From diligent + -ly.

This word in other languages

diligemment(Français)fleißig(Deutsch)diligentemente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiligently
  • diilgently
  • dilgiently
  • diliegntly
  • diligenlty
  • diligenntly
  • diligentlly
  • diligentlyy
  • diligenttly
  • diligentyl
  • diligetnly
  • diliggently
  • dilignetly
  • dilligently
  • dliigently
  • idligently

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of diligently - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddiligently1diilgently2dilgiently2diliegntly2diligenlty2diligenntly1diligentlly1diligentlyy1
Edit distance from "diligently"

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 "diligently"?
"diligently" is spelled D-I-L-I-G-E-N-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/.
What does "diligently" mean?
As an adverb, "diligently" means: In a diligent manner, with appropriate effort, carefully.
What words are commonly confused with "diligently"?
"diligently" is commonly confused with "diligent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "diligently"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diligently" is /ˈdɪlɪd͡ʒ(ə)ntli/. 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 "diligently"?
From diligent + -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 "diligently", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Colchester#24,412grandchild#24,461antisocial#24,377amplifiers#24,375

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

denominator16 variantscongressmen16 variantsintravenous16 variantsabomination16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list