knightly

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

/ˈnaɪtli/

//ˈnaɪtli// adj

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

The verdict

“knightly” is uncommon English (frequency #58,140 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,140
frequency rank, English: 9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to a knight or knights.

Key facts for knightly
Property	Value
Headword	knightly
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˈnaɪtli/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#58,140
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “knightly” 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). knightly lands here:

#58,140

#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

knightly is uncommon English at frequency #58,140 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈnaɪtli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

knightly doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English knyghtly, knightlich; equivalent to knight + -ly (adjectival suffix). Cognate with Old English cnihtlīċ (“boyish”), Dutch knechtelijk (“servile”), German knechtlich (“menial”). The correct English form is knightly, spelled K-N-I-G-H-T-L-Y.

Definition

1
Of or pertaining to a knight or knights.
2
Befitting a knight; formally courteous (as a knight); chivalrous, gallant and courtly.

Etymology

From Middle English knyghtly, knightlich; equivalent to knight + -ly (adjectival suffix). Cognate with Old English cnihtlīċ (“boyish”), Dutch knechtelijk (“servile”), German knechtlich (“menial”).

This word in other languages

caballeresco(Español)chevaleresque(Français)ritterlich(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 "knightly"?

"knightly" is spelled K-N-I-G-H-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪtli/.

What does "knightly" mean?

As an adjective, "knightly" means: Of or pertaining to a knight or knights.

How do you pronounce "knightly"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "knightly" is /ˈnaɪtli/. 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 "knightly"?

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 “knightly”

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

The one correct English spelling is K-N-I-G-H-T-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈnaɪtli/ (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.