fairly

/ˈfɛə(ɹ).li/

//ˈfɛə(ɹ).li// adv

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

"fairly" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fairly” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,994. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,994
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party

Corpus desk

Index EN-fairly · fairly · English

fairly · rank #2,994 · 9 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,994
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH facing

Nearest frequency peer: facing (-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 “fairly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fairly” 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).

fairly vs fairy
83% similar
fairly vs fairs
67% similar
fairly vs filly
67% similar

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

Key facts for fairly
PropertyValue
Headwordfairly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈfɛə(ɹ).li/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,994
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fairly”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).fairlylands 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 “facing” (#2,993), “fingers” (#2,995), “equivalent” (#2,992). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fairly” is #2,994. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around fairly (IPA /ˈfɛə(ɹ).li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #2,994 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fairly, with forms such as "afirly", "failry", and "fairlly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "fairy", "fairs", "filly", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fayrly, fayrely, vayrliche, equivalent to fair + -ly. The correct English form is fairly, spelled F-A-I-R-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party
  2. 2
    Favorably; auspiciously; commodiously.
  3. 3
    Honestly; properly.
  4. 4
    Softly; quietly; gently.
  5. 5
    Partly, not fully; somewhat.
  6. 6
    Almost; practically.
  7. 7
    Of handwriting: neatly and legibly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A jury is expected to ensure that the accused is fairly judged.
  2. a town fairly situated for foreign trade

Etymology

From Middle English fayrly, fayrely, vayrliche, equivalent to fair + -ly.

This word in other languages

francamente(Español)justement(Français)gerecht(Deutsch)justamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afirly
  • failry
  • fairlly
  • fairlyy
  • fairrly
  • fairyl
  • farily
  • ffairly
  • fiarly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fairly - 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.

afirly2failry2fairlly1fairlyy1fairrly1fairyl2farily2ffairly1
Edit distance from "fairly"

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 "fairly"?
"fairly" is spelled F-A-I-R-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɛə(ɹ).li/.
What does "fairly" mean?
As an adverb, "fairly" means: In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party
What words are commonly confused with "fairly"?
"fairly" is commonly confused with "fairy", "fairs", "filly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fairly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fairly" is /ˈfɛə(ɹ).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 "fairly"?
From Middle English fayrly, fayrely, vayrliche, equivalent to fair + -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 "fairly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

facing#2,993marked#3,007Miller#3,009wealth#2,974

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

operate9 variantsracing9 variantsshower9 variantsJordan9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list