momentarily

/ˈməʊməntəɹəli/

//ˈməʊməntəɹəli// adv

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

"momentarily" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“momentarily” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,873. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,873
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-momentarily · momentarily · English

momentarily · rank #21,873 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #21,873
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mislead

Nearest frequency peer: mislead (-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 “momentarily”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “momentarily” 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).

momentarily vs momentary
82% similar

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

Key facts for momentarily
PropertyValue
Headwordmomentarily
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈməʊməntəɹəli/
Letters11
Frequency rank#21,873
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “momentarily”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).momentarilylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “mislead” (#21,872), “misconception” (#21,871), “mindless” (#21,870). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “momentarily” is #21,873. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around momentarily (IPA /ˈməʊməntəɹəli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #21,873 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for momentarily, with forms such as "mmoentarily", "mmomentarily", and "moemntarily". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "momentary", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From momentary + -ly. The correct English form is momentarily, spelled M-O-M-E-N-T-A-R-I-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.
  2. 2
    In a moment or very soon; any minute now, any time now.
  3. 3
    Progressively; moment by moment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I imagined momentarily that it was four score and seven years ago, that I had just been brought forth from my mother[…]
  2. The numbers thin out the further we get from London, so I don't feel guilty when I remove my mask momentarily to scoff some of the snacks I'd bought at Marylebone.

Etymology

From momentary + -ly.

Synonyms

presentlyshortlysoonbrieflytemporarilyincrementallyprogressivelystep by stepgradually

This word in other languages

brièvement(Français)momentan(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmoentarily
  • mmomentarily
  • moemntarily
  • momenatrily
  • momenntarily
  • momentairly
  • momentarilly
  • momentarilyy
  • momentariyl
  • momentarliy
  • momentarrily
  • momentraily
  • momenttarily
  • mometnarily
  • mommentarily
  • momnetarily
  • ommentarily

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmoentarily2mmomentarily1moemntarily2momenatrily2momenntarily1momentairly2momentarilly1momentarilyy1
Edit distance from "momentarily"

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 "momentarily"?
"momentarily" is spelled M-O-M-E-N-T-A-R-I-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈməʊməntəɹəli/.
What does "momentarily" mean?
As an adverb, "momentarily" means: In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.
What words are commonly confused with "momentarily"?
"momentarily" is commonly confused with "momentary". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "momentarily"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "momentarily" is /ˈməʊməntəɹəli/. 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 "momentarily"?
From momentary + -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 "momentarily", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

meteorology#21,868presumption#21,901proclaiming#21,902reactionary#21,909

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

narcissistic17 variantsspecificity17 variantsterminating17 variantsthermometer17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list