# freely

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈfɹiːli/ · frequency rank #6,359

## Definitions
1. Free; frank.
2. Generous; noble; excellent; beautiful; lovely.

## Etymology
From Middle English frely, freelich, from Old English frēolīc (“free, freeborn, glorious, stately, magnificent, noble, beautiful, charming”), equivalent to free + -ly. Compare Middle Low German vrilik, vrigelik (“free”), Middle High German vrīlich (“free”).

## Easily confused with
- **Frey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-frey)
- **frees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-frees)
- **freer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-freer)
- **freeze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-freeze)
- **frenzy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-frenzy)
- **freeway** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-freeway)
- **freshly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freely-vs-freshly)
- **feel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feel-vs-freely)
- **free** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/free-vs-freely)
- **feels** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feels-vs-freely)
- **freed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freed-vs-freely)
- **feely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feely-vs-freely)
- **finely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finely-vs-freely)
- **Freddy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freddy-vs-freely)
- **freaky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freaky-vs-freely)
- **firefly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/firefly-vs-freely)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ferely`, `ffreely`, `freelly`, `freelyy`, `freeyl`, `freley`, `frely`, `frreely`, `rfeely`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/freely