indirectly

/ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/

//ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).li// adv

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

"indirectly" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“indirectly” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,047. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,047
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In an indirect manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indirectly · indirectly · English

indirectly · rank #11,047 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #11,047
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH impressions

Nearest frequency peer: impressions (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “indirectly”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “indirectly” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

indirectly vs indirect
80% similar

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

Key facts for indirectly
PropertyValue
Headwordindirectly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,047
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indirectly”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).indirectlylands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “impressions” (#11,046), “induction” (#11,048), “IMO” (#11,045). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indirectly” is #11,047. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around indirectly (IPA /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #11,047 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In an indirect manner.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for indirectly, with forms such as "idnirectly", "inddirectly", and "indierctly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "indirect", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English inderectely, indirectly, equivalent to indirect + -ly or in- + directly. The correct English form is indirectly, spelled I-N-D-I-R-E-C-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In an indirect manner.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His alcoholism had a direct effect on his health, and indirectly caused problems for others.
  2. At laſt a new Ceſſation of Hoſtilities upon theſe Points was reſolved on; yet the Hatred continues, and the War goes on, though more covertly, and more indirectly than before.

Etymology

From Middle English inderectely, indirectly, equivalent to indirect + -ly or in- + directly.

Synonyms

undirectly

Antonyms

directly

This word in other languages

indirectamente(Español)indirekt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnirectly
  • inddirectly
  • indierctly
  • indircetly
  • indirecctly
  • indireclty
  • indirectlly
  • indirectlyy
  • indirecttly
  • indirectyl
  • indiretcly
  • indirrectly
  • indriectly
  • inidrectly
  • inndirectly
  • nidirectly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indirectly - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

idnirectly2inddirectly1indierctly2indircetly2indirecctly1indireclty2indirectlly1indirectlyy1
Edit distance from "indirectly"

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 "indirectly"?
"indirectly" is spelled I-N-D-I-R-E-C-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/.
What does "indirectly" mean?
As an adverb, "indirectly" means: In an indirect manner.
What words are commonly confused with "indirectly"?
"indirectly" is commonly confused with "indirect". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indirectly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indirectly" is /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛk(t).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 "indirectly"?
From Middle English inderectely, indirectly, equivalent to indirect + -ly or in- + directly. 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 "indirectly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

illustrate#11,044fulfilling#11,034limitation#11,060linguistic#11,061

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

disruption16 variantspreferably16 variantsrespectful16 variantsspontaneous16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list