frankly

/ˈfɹæŋkli/

//ˈfɹæŋkli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“frankly” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,575. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,575
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.

Corpus desk

Index EN-frankly · frankly · English

frankly · rank #6,575 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,575
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foul

Nearest frequency peer: foul (-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 “frankly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “frankly” 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).

frankly vs frank
71% similar
frankly vs Frankie
57% similar
frankly vs Franken
57% similar

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

Key facts for frankly
PropertyValue
Headwordfrankly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈfɹæŋkli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,575
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “frankly”

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).franklylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “foul” (#6,574), “freezing” (#6,576), “fled” (#6,573). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frankly” is #6,575. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around frankly (IPA /ˈfɹæŋkli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #6,575 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for frankly, with forms such as "farnkly", "ffrankly", and "fraknly". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "frank", "Frankie", "Franken", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From frank + -ly. The correct English form is frankly, spelled F-R-A-N-K-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.
  2. 2
    In truth, to tell the truth.
  3. 3
    To a degree large enough as to be plainly evident.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to speak frankly
  2. He spoke frankly about the economy.

Etymology

From frank + -ly.

This word in other languages

francamente(Español)franchement(Français)ehrlich gesagt(Deutsch)francamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • farnkly
  • ffrankly
  • fraknly
  • frankkly
  • franklly
  • franklyy
  • frankyl
  • franlky
  • frannkly
  • frnakly
  • frrankly
  • rfankly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

farnkly2ffrankly1fraknly2frankkly1franklly1franklyy1frankyl2franlky2
Edit distance from "frankly"

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 "frankly"?
"frankly" is spelled F-R-A-N-K-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹæŋkli/.
What does "frankly" mean?
As an adverb, "frankly" means: In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.
What words are commonly confused with "frankly"?
"frankly" is commonly confused with "frank", "Frankie", "Franken". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "frankly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frankly" is /ˈfɹæŋkli/. 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 "frankly"?
From frank + -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 "frankly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

judging#6,584dresses#6,565knights#6,585majesty#6,588

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

freezing12 variantsignorant12 variantsinteract12 variantsmobility12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list