# motley

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈmɒtli/ · frequency rank #25,849

## Definitions
1. Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity.
2. Having many colours; variegated.

## Etymology
From Middle English motle, from Anglo-Norman motteley (“parti-colored”), from Old English mot (“speck”). Doublet of mote. The English word can be analysed as mottle + -y.

## Easily confused with
- **mottled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/motley-vs-mottled)
- **mole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mole-vs-motley)
- **moly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moly-vs-motley)
- **mote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mote-vs-motley)
- **money** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/money-vs-motley)
- **molly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/molly-vs-motley)
- **motel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/motel-vs-motley)
- **Miley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/miley-vs-motley)
- **moldy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moldy-vs-motley)
- **mother** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mother-vs-motley)
- **mostly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mostly-vs-motley)
- **monkey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monkey-vs-motley)
- **Marley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marley-vs-motley)
- **medley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/medley-vs-motley)
- **Morley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/morley-vs-motley)
- **Mooney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mooney-vs-motley)
- **Mosley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mosley-vs-motley)
- **Manley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manley-vs-motley)
- **Molloy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/molloy-vs-motley)
- **Moslem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moslem-vs-motley)

## Common misspellings (9)
`mmotley`, `moltey`, `motely`, `motleyy`, `motlley`, `motlye`, `mottley`, `mtoley`, `omtley`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/motley