exactly

/ɪɡˈzæk(t).li/

//ɪɡˈzæk(t).li// adv

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

"exactly" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exactly” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #733. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#733
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Without approximation; precisely.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exactly · exactly · English

exactly · rank #733 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-CORE #733
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH director

Nearest frequency peer: director (-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 “exactly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exactly” 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).

exactly vs exact
71% similar

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

Key facts for exactly
PropertyValue
Headwordexactly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ɪɡˈzæk(t).li/
Letters7
Frequency rank#733
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exactly”

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).exactlylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “director” (#732), “giving” (#734), “cool” (#731). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exactly” is #733. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around exactly (IPA /ɪɡˈzæk(t).li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #733 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for exactly, with forms such as "eaxctly", "exacctly", and "exaclty". 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, "exact", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From exact + -ly. The correct English form is exactly, spelled E-X-A-C-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Without approximation; precisely.
  2. 2
    Precisely, used to provide emphasis.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Measure exactly so we can be sure it is right.
  2. The edge is not exactly straight.

Etymology

From exact + -ly.

Synonyms

accuratelyexactperfectlycorrectlydead-nutsdefinitelydirectlyevenexactlyfullyincisivelyjustjumpon targeton the buttonon the doton the markon the moneyon the noseplumpplunkpreciselypunctuallyrightsharpslapslap bangsquarely

Antonyms

approximatelyimpreciselyinaccuratelyincorrectlyinexactly

This word in other languages

exactamente(Español)exactement(Français)genau(Deutsch)exatamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eaxctly
  • exacctly
  • exaclty
  • exactlly
  • exactlyy
  • exacttly
  • exactyl
  • exatcly
  • excatly
  • exxactly
  • xeactly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eaxctly2exacctly1exaclty2exactlly1exactlyy1exacttly1exactyl2exatcly2
Edit distance from "exactly"

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 "exactly"?
"exactly" is spelled E-X-A-C-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzæk(t).li/.
What does "exactly" mean?
As an adverb, "exactly" means: Without approximation; precisely.
What words are commonly confused with "exactly"?
"exactly" is commonly confused with "exact". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exactly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exactly" is /ɪɡˈzæk(t).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 "exactly"?
From exact + -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 "exactly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

meeting#736provide#738usually#744medical#714

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

received11 variantsoriginal11 variantsbrought11 variantscentral11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list