hardly

/ˈhɑːdli/

//ˈhɑːdli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“hardly” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,834 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#2,834
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Barely, only just, almost not.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hardly vs harry
67% similar
hardly vs hardy
83% similar
hardly vs Harvey
50% similar

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

Key facts for hardly
PropertyValue
Headwordhardly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈhɑːdli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,834
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hardly” 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). hardly lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hardly is 6 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɑːdli/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,834 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for hardly, with forms such as "ahrdly", "hadrly", and "harddly". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "harry", "hardy", "Harvey", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich. The correct English form is hardly, spelled H-A-R-D-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Barely, only just, almost not.
  2. 2
    Certainly not; not at all.
  3. 3
    With difficulty.
  4. 4
    Harshly, severely; in a hard manner.
  5. 5
    Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion.

Etymology

From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.

Synonyms

barelyjustonly justscarcely

This word in other languages

apenas(Español)guère(Français)kaum(Deutsch)mal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahrdly,hadrly,harddly,hardlly,hardlyy,hardyl,harldy,harrdly,hhardly,hradly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahrdly2hadrly2harddly1hardlly1hardlyy1hardyl2harldy2harrdly1
Edit distance from "hardly"

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 "hardly"?
"hardly" is spelled H-A-R-D-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɑːdli/.
What does "hardly" mean?
As an adverb, "hardly" means: Barely, only just, almost not.
What words are commonly confused with "hardly"?
"hardly" is commonly confused with "harry", "hardy", "Harvey". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hardly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hardly" is /ˈhɑːdli/. 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 "hardly"?
From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich. 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 “hardly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-R-D-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɑːdli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “harry” - see the side-by-side comparison. hardly vs harry
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list