motherly
/ˈmʌðɚli/adjective, adverb
motherly is spelled M-O-T-H-E-R-L-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, motherly means “Befitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing, protective, loving” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in motherly?
| Letters | 8: M-O-T-H-E-R-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is motherly?
Motherly appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce motherly?
- UK /ˈmʌðəli/
- US /ˈmʌðɚli/
Motherly has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-motherly.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with motherly?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as motherly from its last stressed vowel (/ʌðəɹli/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of motherly
- more motherly comparative
- most motherly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does motherly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Befitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing, protective, loving.
adverb
- 1
In a way pertaining to, befitting, or of a mother.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Motherly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense befitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing, protective, loving:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | mütterlich |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does motherly come from?
From Middle English moderly, from Old English mōdorlīċ (“motherly, maternal”), from Proto-Germanic *mōdērlīkaz (“motherly, maternal”), equivalent to mother + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).