dismally

/ˈdɪz.mə.li/

//ˈdɪz.mə.li// adv

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

"dismally" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dismally” is uncommon English (frequency #84,176 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,176
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a dismal manner.

Key facts for dismally
PropertyValue
Headworddismally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈdɪz.mə.li/
Letters8
Frequency rank#84,176
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dismally” 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). dismally lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

dismally is uncommon English at frequency #84,176 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈdɪz.mə.li/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In a dismal manner.".

Zero misspellings are on record for dismally in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dismal + -ly. The correct English form is dismally, spelled D-I-S-M-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a dismal manner.

Etymology

From dismal + -ly.

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 "dismally"?
"dismally" is spelled D-I-S-M-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪz.mə.li/.
What does "dismally" mean?
As an adverb, "dismally" means: In a dismal manner.
How do you pronounce "dismally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dismally" is /ˈdɪz.mə.li/. 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 "dismally"?
From dismal + -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 “dismally”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-M-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɪz.mə.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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