ostensibly

/ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/

//ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli// adv

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

"ostensibly" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ostensibly” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,382. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,382
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Seemingly, apparently, on the surface; supposedly, according to representations or implications made by someone (especially when their motives are suspected by others).

Corpus desk

Index EN-ostensibly · ostensibly · English

ostensibly · rank #18,382 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,382
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oily

Nearest frequency peer: oily (-2 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ostensibly”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ostensibly” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ostensibly
PropertyValue
Headwordostensibly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/
Letters10
Frequency rank#18,382
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ostensibly”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “oily” (#18,380), “obi” (#18,379), “outspoken” (#18,385). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ostensibly” is #18,382. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around ostensibly (IPA /ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #18,382 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Seemingly, apparently, on the surface; supposedly, according to representations or implications made by someone (especially when their motives are suspected by others).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for ostensibly, with forms such as "osetnsibly", "osstensibly", and "ostenisbly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ostensible + -ly. The correct English form is ostensibly, spelled O-S-T-E-N-S-I-B-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Seemingly, apparently, on the surface; supposedly, according to representations or implications made by someone (especially when their motives are suspected by others).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: reportedly, reputedly, purportedly, putatively, rumoredly, supposedly, allegedly, possibly, probably, likely, plausibly, presumably; see also Thesaurus:ostensibly
  2. His interest in the railway was ostensibly a hobby, but people began wondering why he was taking photos of specific trains and specific equipment.

Etymology

From ostensible + -ly.

Synonyms

apparentlyat first blushat first glanceat first sighton the face of iton the surfaceostensiblyoutwardlyprima facieseeminglysuperficiallysurfacelyto all appearances

Antonyms

actually

This word in other languages

ostensiblemente(Español)ostensiblement(Français)vorgeblich(Deutsch)ostensivamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • osetnsibly
  • osstensibly
  • ostenisbly
  • ostennsibly
  • ostensbily
  • ostensibbly
  • ostensiblly
  • ostensiblyy
  • ostensibyl
  • ostensilby
  • ostenssibly
  • ostesnibly
  • ostnesibly
  • osttensibly
  • otsensibly
  • sotensibly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ostensibly - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

osetnsibly2osstensibly1ostenisbly2ostennsibly1ostensbily2ostensibbly1ostensiblly1ostensiblyy1
Edit distance from "ostensibly"

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 "ostensibly"?
"ostensibly" is spelled O-S-T-E-N-S-I-B-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/.
What does "ostensibly" mean?
As an adverb, "ostensibly" means: Seemingly, apparently, on the surface; supposedly, according to representations or implications made by someone (especially when their motives are suspected by others).
What are common misspellings of "ostensibly"?
Common misspellings include "osetnsibly", "osstensibly", "ostenisbly", "ostennsibly", "ostensbily". The correct spelling is "ostensibly".
How do you pronounce "ostensibly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ostensibly" is /ɒˈstɛn.sɪ.bli/. 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 "ostensibly"?
From ostensible + -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 "ostensibly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pleasantly#18,397McLaughlin#18,366improperly#18,346fourteenth#18,313

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

inquisition16 variantsillumination16 variantsunavoidable16 variantscontradict16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list