otherwise
/ˈʌð.əˌwaɪz/
"otherwise" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“otherwise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,401 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #1,401
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Differently, in another way.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | otherwise |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈʌð.əˌwaɪz/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #1,401 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “otherwise” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for otherwise is 9 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʌð.əˌwaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,401 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for otherwise, with forms such as "ohterwise", "otehrwise", and "otheriwse". 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, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”). The correct English form is otherwise, spelled O-T-H-E-R-W-I-S-E.
Definition
- 1Differently, in another way.
- 2In different circumstances; or else.
- 3In all other respects.
Etymology
From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ohterwise,otehrwise,otheriwse,otherrwise,otherwies,otherwisse,otherwsie,otherwwise,othewrise,othherwise,othrewise,ottherwise,toherwise
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of otherwise - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “otherwise”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-T-H-E-R-W-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈʌð.əˌwaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.