fondly

/ˈfɑndli/

//ˈfɑndli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“fondly” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,381. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,381
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-fondly · fondly · English

fondly · rank #22,381 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,381
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fluff

Nearest frequency peer: fluff (-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 “fondly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fondly” 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).

fondly vs fondue
67% similar
fondly vs foundry
71% similar
fondly vs fond
67% similar

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

Key facts for fondly
PropertyValue
Headwordfondly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈfɑndli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,381
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fondly”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).fondlylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “fluff” (#22,380), “flask” (#22,379), “Fremont” (#22,383). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fondly” is #22,381. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around fondly (IPA /ˈfɑndli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #22,381 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for fondly, with forms such as "ffondly", "fnodly", and "fodnly". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "fondue", "foundry", "fond", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fondly, fondely, fonnedli, equivalent to fond + -ly. The correct English form is fondly, spelled F-O-N-D-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a fond manner; affectionately; tenderly.
  2. 2
    Foolishly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He looked fondly at the pictures of his high-school friends.
  2. "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" / I fondly ask...

Etymology

From Middle English fondly, fondely, fonnedli, equivalent to fond + -ly.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffondly
  • fnodly
  • fodnly
  • fonddly
  • fondlly
  • fondlyy
  • fondyl
  • fonldy
  • fonndly
  • ofndly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffondly1fnodly2fodnly2fonddly1fondlly1fondlyy1fondyl2fonldy2
Edit distance from "fondly"

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 "fondly"?
"fondly" is spelled F-O-N-D-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɑndli/.
What does "fondly" mean?
As an adverb, "fondly" means: In a fond manner; affectionately; tenderly.
What words are commonly confused with "fondly"?
"fondly" is commonly confused with "fondue", "foundry", "fond". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fondly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fondly" is /ˈfɑndli/. 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 "fondly"?
From Middle English fondly, fondely, fonnedli, equivalent to fond + -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 "fondly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

frosty#22,384gatsby#22,386faiths#22,371equate#22,364

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

fireman10 variantsgearbox10 variantsfanfare10 variantsexpanse10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list