# nelly

> English word · Noun · IPA /nɛli/ · frequency rank #23,611

## Definitions
1. A person's life.

## Etymology
Shortened from Nelly Duff, for puff, i.e. breath of life.

## Easily confused with
- **ney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-ney)
- **null** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-null)
- **newly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-newly)
- **nerdy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-nerdy)
- **Newry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-newry)
- **Noelle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nelly-vs-noelle)
- **Neil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neil-vs-nelly)
- **Neal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neal-vs-nelly)
- **Nell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nell-vs-nelly)
- **needy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/needy-vs-nelly)
- **Neill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neill-vs-nelly)
- **Neale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neale-vs-nelly)
- **nearly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nearly-vs-nelly)
- **neatly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neatly-vs-nelly)
- **Nellie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nellie-vs-nelly)

## Common misspellings (6)
`enlly`, `nellyy`, `nely`, `nelyl`, `nlely`, `nnelly`

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