fatally

/ˈfeɪtəli/

//ˈfeɪtəli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“fatally” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,822. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,822
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a deadly manner; lethally.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fatally · fatally · English

fatally · rank #18,822 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,822
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH farce

Nearest frequency peer: farce (-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 “fatally”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fatally” 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).

fatally vs finally
71% similar
fatally vs fatal
71% similar
fatally vs fatality
75% similar

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

Key facts for fatally
PropertyValue
Headwordfatally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈfeɪtəli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#18,822
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fatally”

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).fatallylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “farce” (#18,821), “exponential” (#18,820), “Flanders” (#18,824). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fatally” is #18,822. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around fatally (IPA /ˈfeɪtəli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #18,822 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fatally, with forms such as "aftally", "faatlly", and "fatallyy". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "finally", "fatal", "fatality", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From fatal + -ly. The correct English form is fatally, spelled F-A-T-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a deadly manner; lethally.
  2. 2
    Ultimately, with finality or irrevocability, moving towards the demise of something.
  3. 3
    Fatedly; according to the dictates of fate or doom.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Witness our too much memorable shame When Cressy battle fatally was struck, And all our princes captiv'd by the hand Of that black name, Edward, Black Prince of Wales;
  2. He told Peace that he did not believe his statement that he had fired the pistol merely to frighten the constable; had not Robinson guarded his head with his arm he would have been wounded fatally, and Peace condemned to death.

Etymology

From fatal + -ly.

Synonyms

mortally

This word in other languages

fatalmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aftally
  • faatlly
  • fatallyy
  • fataly
  • fatalyl
  • fatlaly
  • fattally
  • ffatally
  • ftaally

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aftally2faatlly2fatallyy1fataly1fatalyl2fatlaly2fattally1ffatally1
Edit distance from "fatally"

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 "fatally"?
"fatally" is spelled F-A-T-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfeɪtəli/.
What does "fatally" mean?
As an adverb, "fatally" means: In a deadly manner; lethally.
What words are commonly confused with "fatally"?
"fatally" is commonly confused with "finally", "fatal", "fatality". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fatally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fatally" is /ˈfeɪtəli/. 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 "fatally"?
From fatal + -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 "fatally", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

enraged#18,813frantic#18,831disdain#18,805demonic#18,803

Similar misspelling depth

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

flowed9 variantsdreamt9 variantsglover9 variantsGrimes9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list