morally

/ˈmɔɹəli/

//ˈmɔɹəli// adv

"morally" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“morally” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,462 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#12,462
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In terms of morals or ethics.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

morally vs moray
71% similar
morally vs morals
71% similar
morally vs Morley
57% similar

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

Key facts for morally
PropertyValue
Headwordmorally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈmɔɹəli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,462
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “morally” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for morally is 7 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɔɹəli/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,462 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for morally, with forms such as "mmorally", "moarlly", and "morallyy". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "moray", "morals", "Morley", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English morali, moralli, morally, equivalent to moral + -ly. The correct English form is morally, spelled M-O-R-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In terms of morals or ethics.
  2. 2
    In keeping of requirements of morality.
  3. 3
    To all intents and purposes; practically.
  4. 4
    Used to clarify that a statement is made in analogy, and every detail may not be strictly true.

Etymology

From Middle English morali, moralli, morally, equivalent to moral + -ly.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmorally,moarlly,morallyy,moraly,moralyl,morlaly,morrally,mroally,omrally

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of morally - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmorally1moarlly2morallyy1moraly1moralyl2morlaly2morrally1mroally2
Edit distance from "morally"

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 "morally"?
"morally" is spelled M-O-R-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɔɹəli/.
What does "morally" mean?
As an adverb, "morally" means: In terms of morals or ethics.
What words are commonly confused with "morally"?
"morally" is commonly confused with "moray", "morals", "Morley". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "morally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "morally" is /ˈmɔɹəli/. 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 "morally"?
From Middle English morali, moralli, morally, equivalent to moral + -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.

Using “morally”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-R-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɔɹəli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “moray” - see the side-by-side comparison. morally vs moray
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list