earnestly

/ˈɝnɪstli/

//ˈɝnɪstli// adv

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

"earnestly" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“earnestly” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,033. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,033
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.

Corpus desk

Index EN-earnestly · earnestly · English

earnestly · rank #34,033 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #34,033
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH dwells

Nearest frequency peer: dwells (-3 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 “earnestly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “earnestly” 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).

earnestly vs earnest
78% similar

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

Key facts for earnestly
PropertyValue
Headwordearnestly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈɝnɪstli/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,033
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “earnestly”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).earnestlylands 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 “dwells” (#34,030), “effecting” (#34,036), “electrifying” (#34,038). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “earnestly” is #34,033. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around earnestly (IPA /ˈɝnɪstli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #34,033 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for earnestly, with forms such as "aernestly", "eanrestly", and "earenstly". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "earnest", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ernestly, from Old English eornostlīċe (“earnestly, strictly”), equivalent to earnest + -ly. The correct English form is earnestly, spelled E-A-R-N-E-S-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thanked the Good Witch earnestly for her kindness, […]
  2. One thing, however, I do most earnestly beg and entreat of you: […]

Etymology

From Middle English ernestly, from Old English eornostlīċe (“earnestly, strictly”), equivalent to earnest + -ly.

Synonyms

for realhonestly

This word in other languages

sérieusement(Français)ernsthaft(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aernestly
  • eanrestly
  • earenstly
  • earneslty
  • earnesstly
  • earnestlly
  • earnestlyy
  • earnesttly
  • earnestyl
  • earnetsly
  • earnnestly
  • earnsetly
  • earrnestly
  • eranestly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aernestly2eanrestly2earenstly2earneslty2earnesstly1earnestlly1earnestlyy1earnesttly1
Edit distance from "earnestly"

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 "earnestly"?
"earnestly" is spelled E-A-R-N-E-S-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɝnɪstli/.
What does "earnestly" mean?
As an adverb, "earnestly" means: In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.
What words are commonly confused with "earnestly"?
"earnestly" is commonly confused with "earnest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "earnestly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "earnestly" is /ˈɝnɪstli/. 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 "earnestly"?
From Middle English ernestly, from Old English eornostlīċe (“earnestly, strictly”), equivalent to earnest + -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 "earnestly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

effecting#34,036firehouse#34,056foolproof#34,062forgetful#34,064

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

conjuring14 variantsclimactic14 variantsguesthouse14 variantsharvester14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list