furtively
/ˈfɜːtɪvli/
"furtively" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“furtively” is uncommon English (frequency #72,330 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #72,330
- frequency rank, English
- 2,507
- “F” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a furtive manner.
Corpus desk
Index EN-furtively · furtively · English
furtively · rank #72,330 · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-RARE #72,330
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,507
- PHOTO-FINISH funicular
Nearest frequency peer: funicular (-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.
Long-tail ranks near “furtively”
Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter
- frigidaire
frigidaire
27,676 corpus weight
- frond
frond
27,674 corpus weight
- fudging
fudging
27,673 corpus weight
- funicular
funicular
27,672 corpus weight
- furtively
furtively
27,671 corpus weight
- Gaillard
Gaillard
27,667 corpus weight
What this shows Long-tail view: where “furtively” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | furtively |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈfɜːtɪvli/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #72,330 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “furtively” in English
Rare enough to double-check
furtively is uncommon English at frequency #72,330 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈfɜːtɪvli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In a furtive manner.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for furtively, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English furtyvely; equivalent to furtive + -ly. The correct English form is furtively, spelled F-U-R-T-I-V-E-L-Y.
Definition
- 1In a furtive manner.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how furtively appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
And furtively Time looked him in the face and edged towards him fingering with his dripping fingers the hilt of his nimble sword.
The only diversions I recall were a pair of Avocets flying over, and a young lady who regularly each afternoon furtively crept into the dunes [...] and crouched down for a clandestine wee!
Etymology
From Middle English furtyvely; equivalent to furtive + -ly.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "furtively", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).