# literally

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈlɪtəɹəli/ · frequency rank #1,311

## Definitions
1. Word for word, exactly as stated.
2. Word for word, exactly as stated.
3. Word for word, exactly as stated.
4. As an intensifier.
5. As an intensifier.
6. Used as a generic downtoner: just, merely.

## Etymology
From Middle English litteraly. See literal and letter. By surface analysis, literal + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **literary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/literally-vs-literary)
- **literal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/literal-vs-literally)
- **literacy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/literacy-vs-literally)
- **laterally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/laterally-vs-literally)
- **liberally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liberally-vs-literally)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ilterally`, `lietrally`, `litearlly`, `literallyy`, `literaly`, `literalyl`, `literlaly`, `literrally`, `litreally`, `litterally`, `lliterally`, `ltierally`

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