# manly

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈmænli/ · frequency rank #11,912

## Definitions
1. Having the characteristics of a man.
2. Having qualities viewed as befitting a man; masculine, manful, courageous, resolute, noble.

## Etymology
From Middle English manli, manlich, manly, from Old English *manlīċ (suggested by adverb manlīċe (“in a way befitting a person; nobly, stately”)), from Proto-West Germanic *mannlīk, from Proto-Germanic *mannlīkaz, equivalent to man + -ly (adjectival suffix).
Cognate with Old High German manlīh (“manly”) (whence German männlich), Dutch mannelijk, Old Norse mannligr (“human”) (Danish mandlig, Swedish manlig).

## Easily confused with
- **may** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-may)
- **many** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-many)
- **Mary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-mary)
- **mann** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-mann)
- **mans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-mans)
- **manu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-manu)
- **mano** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-mano)
- **maul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-maul)
- **moly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-moly)
- **marl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-marl)
- **money** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-money)
- **marry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-marry)
- **molly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-molly)
- **maple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-maple)
- **manor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-manor)
- **Marty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-marty)
- **Monty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-monty)
- **manny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-manny)
- **Matty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-matty)
- **Mindy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manly-vs-mindy)

## Common misspellings (8)
`amnly`, `malny`, `manlly`, `manlyy`, `mannly`, `manyl`, `mmanly`, `mnaly`

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