# early

> English word · Adjective · frequency rank #354

## Definitions
1. At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
2. Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.
3. After but close to the start of a period of time.
4. In the starting hours of the day.
5. Having begun to occur; in its early stages.
6. Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.

## Etymology
From Middle English erly, erlich, earlich, from Old English ǣrlīċ (“early”, adjective), equivalent to ere + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **Ely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-ely)
- **easy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-easy)
- **earn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earn)
- **ears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-ears)
- **Earp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earp)
- **earth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earth)
- **Emily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-emily)
- **earns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earns)
- **easily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-easily)
- **earthy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earthy)
- **eerily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-eerily)
- **earthly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/early-vs-earthly)
- **ear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ear-vs-early)
- **earl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/earl-vs-early)
- **eagle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eagle-vs-early)
- **Earle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/earle-vs-early)
- **eared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eared-vs-early)
- **eagerly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eagerly-vs-early)

## Common misspellings (7)
`aerly`, `ealry`, `earlly`, `earlyy`, `earrly`, `earyl`, `eraly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/early