obscurely

/əbˈskjʊəli/

//əbˈskjʊəli// adv

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

"obscurely" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obscurely” is uncommon English (frequency #98,510 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,510
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In an obscure manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obscurely · obscurely · English

obscurely · rank #98,510 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,510
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oblation

Nearest frequency peer: oblation (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “obscurely”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “obscurely” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for obscurely
PropertyValue
Headwordobscurely
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əbˈskjʊəli/
Letters9
Frequency rank#98,510
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “obscurely” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).obscurelyfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “oblation” (#98,509), “Oakham” (#98,507), “nutsack” (#98,505). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obscurely” is #98,510. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

obscurely is uncommon English at frequency #98,510 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /əbˈskjʊəli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In an obscure manner.".

obscurely doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From obscure + -ly. The correct English form is obscurely, spelled O-B-S-C-U-R-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In an obscure manner.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. I vvill this Night, / in ſeuerall Hands, in at his VVindovves throvv, / As if they came from ſeuerall Citizens, / VVritings, all tending to the great opinion / That Rome holds of his Name: vvherein obſcurely / Cæſars Ambition ſhall be glanced at.

Etymology

From obscure + -ly.

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 "obscurely"?
"obscurely" is spelled O-B-S-C-U-R-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈskjʊəli/.
What does "obscurely" mean?
As an adverb, "obscurely" means: In an obscure manner.
How do you pronounce "obscurely"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obscurely" is /əbˈskjʊəli/. 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 "obscurely"?
From obscure + -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 "obscurely", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

overvalue#98,533Natarajan#98,485pederasty#98,553microform#98,446

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list