expressly
/ɪkˈspɹɛsli/adverb
expressly is spelled E-X-P-R-E-S-S-L-Y: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,368th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, expressly means “In an express or explicit manner; in a clear or specific manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in expressly?
| Letters | 9: E-X-P-R-E-S-S-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.0 times per million words; the 15,368th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is expressly?
Expressly appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,368th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce expressly?
- /ɪkˈspɹɛsli/
Expressly has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-expressly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What does expressly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In an express or explicit manner; in a clear or specific manner.
We were expressly permitted to use the building. See – here is the note from the manager clearly stating that we have permission to use the building.
- 2
Exclusively or specifically.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Expressly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense in an expressive or explicit manner:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ausdrücklich |
| Portuguese | expressamente |
| Spanish | expresamente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does expressly come from?
From express + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).