empirically

Name: empirically, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

adv

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“empirically” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,635. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,635
frequency rank, English: 2,246
“E” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.

Corpus desk

Index EN-empirically · empirically · English

empirically · rank #33,635 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

FREQ-MID #33,635
LEN-MEGA 11 letters
VOW-5 5 vowels
CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
VAR-HIGH 15 variants
BOOK-MID 2,246
PHOTO-FINISH emotive

Nearest frequency peer: emotive (-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.

Eine

66,370
electrochem…

66,369
embers

66,368
emotive

66,367
empirically

66,366
Engels

66,363

What this shows “empirically” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

empirically vs empirical

82% similar

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

Key facts for empirically
Property	Value
Headword	empirically
Language	English
Part of speech	Adverb
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#33,635
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “empirically”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).empiricallylands here:

#33,635

#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 “emotive” (#33,634), “embers” (#33,633), “electrochemical” (#33,632). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “empirically” is #33,635. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around empirically, anadverb. Corpus frequency is #33,635 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for empirically, with forms such as "emiprically", "emmpirically", and "empiircally". 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, "empirical", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From empirical + -ly. The correct English form is empirically, spelled E-M-P-I-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

1
Based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.
2
Based on data and evidence gathered in the real world.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

I have no idea why this works, but empirically, it works.
We need to test this idea empirically instead of just speculating about it.

Etymology

From empirical + -ly.

This word in other languages

empíricamente(Español)empiricamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

emiprically
emmpirically
empiircally
empircially
empiriaclly
empiricallyy
empiricaly
empiricalyl
empiriccally
empiriclaly
empirrically
emppirically
empriically
epmirically
mepirically

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of empirically - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "empirically"

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 "empirically"?

"empirically" is spelled E-M-P-I-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

What does "empirically" mean?

As an adverb, "empirically" means: Based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.

What words are commonly confused with "empirically"?

"empirically" is commonly confused with "empirical". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

What is the origin of the word "empirically"?

From empirical + -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 "empirically", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

disparaging#33,621 directorial#33,617 iconography#33,678 implausible#33,681

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

drosophila15 variants disjointed15 variants firstborn15 variants depositing15 variants