fairly
fair·ly/ˈfɛɹ.li/adverb
fairly is spelled F-A-I-R-L-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables (fair·ly). It appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, fairly means “In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fairly?
| Letters | 6: F-A-I-R-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: fair·ly |
| In writing | 32 times per million words; the 2,992nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is fairly?
Fairly appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd 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 fairly?
- UK /ˈfɛə.li/
- British /ˈfɛːlɪj/
- US /ˈfɛɹ.li/
Fairly has 2 syllables, split fair·ly in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fairly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with fairly?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as fairly from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹli/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of fairly
- more fairly comparative
- most fairly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fairly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party
A jury is expected to ensure that the accused is fairly judged.
- 2
Favorably; auspiciously; commodiously.
a town fairly situated for foreign trade
- 3
Honestly; properly.
Consumer laws aim to have consumers fairly treated.
- 4
Softly; quietly; gently.
- 5
Partly, not fully; somewhat.
The weather this weekend will be fairly dry.
- 6
datedAlmost; practically.
- 7
archaicOf handwriting: neatly and legibly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fairly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | justement , assez |
| German | gerecht |
| Portuguese | justamente , bastante |
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 fairly come from?
From Middle English fayrly, fayrely, vayrliche, equivalent to fair + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).