gratuitously

Name: gratuitously, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/

//ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li// adv

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“gratuitously” is uncommon English (frequency #70,714 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,714
frequency rank, English: 18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.

Key facts for gratuitously
Property	Value
Headword	gratuitously
Language	English
Part of speech	Adverb
IPA	/ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/
Letters	12
Frequency rank	#70,714
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gratuitously” sits in English frequency

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

#70,714

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gratuitously is uncommon English at frequency #70,714 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for gratuitously in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From gratuitous + -ly. The correct English form is gratuitously, spelled G-R-A-T-U-I-T-O-U-S-L-Y.

Definition

1
Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.
2
In a manner not demanded by the circumstances, without reason, justification, cause, or proof.

Etymology

From gratuitous + -ly.

This word in other languages

gratuitamente(Español)gratuitement(Français)umsonst(Deutsch)

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 "gratuitously"?

"gratuitously" is spelled G-R-A-T-U-I-T-O-U-S-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/.

What does "gratuitously" mean?

As an adverb, "gratuitously" means: Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.

How do you pronounce "gratuitously"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gratuitously" is /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/. 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 "gratuitously"?

From gratuitous + -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.

Using “gratuitously”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is G-R-A-T-U-I-T-O-U-S-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.