# homely

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhəʊmli/ · frequency rank #32,848

## Definitions
1. Characteristic of, belonging to, or befitting a home; domestic, cosy.
2. Lacking in beauty or elegance, plain in appearance, physically unattractive.
3. On intimate or friendly terms with (someone); familiar; at home (with a person); intimate.
4. Domestic; tame.
5. Personal; private.
6. Friendly; kind; gracious; cordial.
7. Conservative and family-oriented.
8. Simple; plain; familiar; unelaborate; unadorned.

## Etymology
From Middle English homly, hoomly, hamely (“domestic, familiar, plain, unattractive”), from Old English *hāmlīċ (“of the home, domestic”), from Proto-West Germanic *haimalīk (“of or characteristic of home”), equivalent to home + -ly. Cognate with Scots hamely (“familiar, personal, private”), West Frisian heimelik, Dutch heimelijk (“secret, secretive, clandestine”), German heimlich (“secret, secretive, clandestine, undercover”), Danish hemmelig (“secret”), Swedish hemlig (“secret, concealed, privy, covert”), Faroese heimligur (“homelike, homey”), Icelandic heimlegur (“homely; worldly”).

## Easily confused with
- **hotel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-hotel)
- **homes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-homes)
- **honey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-honey)
- **homer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-homer)
- **hotly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-hotly)
- **homey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-homey)
- **hourly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-hourly)
- **hugely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-hugely)
- **Howell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-howell)
- **humbly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-humbly)
- **homily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-homily)
- **home** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/home-vs-homely)
- **holy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/holy-vs-homely)
- **holly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/holly-vs-homely)
- **hokey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hokey-vs-homely)
- **homeboy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homeboy-vs-homely)

## Common misspellings (9)
`hhomely`, `hmoely`, `hoemly`, `homelly`, `homelyy`, `homeyl`, `homley`, `hommely`, `ohmely`

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