metaphorically

adv

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

"metaphorically" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“metaphorically” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,501. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,501
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
20
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.

Corpus desk

Index EN-metaphorically · metaphorically · English

metaphorically · rank #30,501 · 20 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #30,501
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mesmerizing

Nearest frequency peer: mesmerizing (-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 “metaphorically”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “metaphorically” 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).

metaphorically vs metaphorical
86% similar

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

Key facts for metaphorically
PropertyValue
Headwordmetaphorically
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
Letters14
Frequency rank#30,501
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “metaphorically”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).metaphoricallylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “mesmerizing” (#30,500), “Millwall” (#30,502), “melatonin” (#30,499). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “metaphorically” is #30,501. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around metaphorically, anadverb. Corpus frequency is #30,501 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for metaphorically, with forms such as "emtaphorically", "meatphorically", and "metahporically". 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, "metaphorical", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From metaphorical + -ly. The correct English form is metaphorically, spelled M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
  2. 2
    Used to draw attention that what follows is a metaphor, not to be taken literally

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.
  2. […] as, for example, in the present case of throwing herself, metaphorically speaking, at Mr Casaubon's feet, and kissing his unfashionable shoe-ties as if he were a Protestant Pope.

Etymology

From metaphorical + -ly.

Antonyms

literally

This word in other languages

metafóricamente(Español)métaphoriquement(Français)metaphorisch(Deutsch)metaforicamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emtaphorically
  • meatphorically
  • metahporically
  • metaphhorically
  • metaphoircally
  • metaphorcially
  • metaphoriaclly
  • metaphoricallyy
  • metaphoricaly
  • metaphoricalyl
  • metaphoriccally
  • metaphoriclaly
  • metaphorrically
  • metaphroically
  • metapohrically
  • metapphorically
  • metpahorically
  • mettaphorically
  • mmetaphorically
  • mteaphorically

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of metaphorically - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

emtaphorically2meatphorically2metahporically2metaphhorically1metaphoircally2metaphorcially2metaphoriaclly2metaphoricallyy1
Edit distance from "metaphorically"

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 "metaphorically"?
"metaphorically" is spelled M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y.
What does "metaphorically" mean?
As an adverb, "metaphorically" means: In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
What words are commonly confused with "metaphorically"?
"metaphorically" is commonly confused with "metaphorical". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "metaphorically"?
From metaphorical + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "metaphorically", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

disinformation#30,398chromatography#30,732unincorporated#29,876uncontrollably#29,873

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

juxtaposition20 variantsspectrometry20 variantsconfectionery20 variantsrecombination20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list