hierarchically

/ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli/

//ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli// adv

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

"hierarchically" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hierarchically” is uncommon English (frequency #77,765 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,765
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hierarchically · hierarchically · English

hierarchically · rank #77,765 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #77,765
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hexes

Nearest frequency peer: hexes (-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 “hierarchically”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “hierarchically” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hierarchically
PropertyValue
Headwordhierarchically
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli/
Letters14
Frequency rank#77,765
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hierarchically” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hierarchicallyfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “hexes” (#77,764), “Hieronymus” (#77,766), “HEPA” (#77,763). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hierarchically” is #77,765. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hierarchically is uncommon English at frequency #77,765 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for hierarchically, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From hierarchical + -ly. The correct English form is hierarchically, spelled H-I-E-R-A-R-C-H-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to a transitive relation between objects by which they may be ordered into a hierarchy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Unlike, say, botany or zoology, or even in a thesaural structure of a knowledge database, where the syntactical and semantic relationships between concepts is often highly ordered (e.g. hierarchically, cohyponymically), the central concepts and meanings in the field of management are more consensually negotiated.

Etymology

From hierarchical + -ly.

This word in other languages

jerárquicamente(Español)hiérarchiquement(Français)hierarchisch(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 "hierarchically"?
"hierarchically" is spelled H-I-E-R-A-R-C-H-I-C-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli/.
What does "hierarchically" mean?
As an adverb, "hierarchically" means: Of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy.
How do you pronounce "hierarchically"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hierarchically" is /ˈhaɪə(ɹ)ˌɑː(ɹ)k.ɪk.æli/. 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 "hierarchically"?
From hierarchical + -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 "hierarchically", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

incapacitation#77,794incompressible#77,795Jeffersonville#77,815enforceability#77,644

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list