mannerly

/ˈmænəɹli/

//ˈmænəɹli// adj

"mannerly" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mannerly” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Polite, having good manners.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mannerly · mannerly · English

mannerly · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for mannerly
PropertyValue
Headwordmannerly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmænəɹli/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “mannerly” in English

mannerlysits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mannerly is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈmænəɹli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Polite, having good manners.".

No misspelling variants are generated for mannerly in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English manerely, equivalent to manner + -ly. The correct English form is mannerly, spelled M-A-N-N-E-R-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Polite, having good manners.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Lucetta, as thou lov'st me, let me have / What thou think'st meet, and is most mannerly.
  2. 1861, Charlotte Yonge, The Young Step-Mother ...but Genevieve's laugh roused her again, partly because she thought it less mannerly than accorded with the girl's usual politeness.

Etymology

From Middle English manerely, equivalent to manner + -ly.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mannerly"?
"mannerly" is spelled M-A-N-N-E-R-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmænəɹli/.
What does "mannerly" mean?
As an adjective, "mannerly" means: Polite, having good manners.
How do you pronounce "mannerly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mannerly" is /ˈmænəɹli/. 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 "mannerly"?
From Middle English manerely, equivalent to manner + -ly. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list