passively

/ˈpæs.ɪv.li/

//ˈpæs.ɪv.li// adv

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

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

The verdict

“passively” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,663. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,663
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.

Corpus desk

Index EN-passively · passively · English

passively · rank #28,663 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,663
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Paulson

Nearest frequency peer: Paulson (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “passively”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “passively” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

passively vs passivity
78% similar
passively vs passive
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for passively
PropertyValue
Headwordpassively
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈpæs.ɪv.li/
Letters9
Frequency rank#28,663
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “passively”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).passivelylands 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 “Paulson” (#28,664), “parr” (#28,661), “peddling” (#28,665). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “passively” is #28,663. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around passively (IPA /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #28,663 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for passively, with forms such as "apssively", "pasisvely", and "pasively". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "passivity", "passive", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From passive + -ly. The correct English form is passively, spelled P-A-S-S-I-V-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
  2. 2
    In an acquiescent manner; resignedly or submissively.
  3. 3
    In the passive voice; having a passive construction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Water flowed passively between tanks via the siphon.
  2. Due to this pressure aortic and pulmonary valves are opened passively and due to relaxation blood is sucked from the venae cavae into the atrium.

Etymology

From passive + -ly.

Synonyms

automaticallymindlesslyresignedlysubmissively

This word in other languages

pasivamente(Español)passivement(Français)passiv(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apssively
  • pasisvely
  • pasively
  • passievly
  • passivelly
  • passivelyy
  • passiveyl
  • passivley
  • passivvely
  • passviely
  • ppassively
  • psasively

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of passively - 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.

apssively2pasisvely2pasively1passievly2passivelly1passivelyy1passiveyl2passivley2
Edit distance from "passively"

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 "passively"?
"passively" is spelled P-A-S-S-I-V-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/.
What does "passively" mean?
As an adverb, "passively" means: In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
What words are commonly confused with "passively"?
"passively" is commonly confused with "passivity", "passive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "passively"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "passively" is /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/. 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 "passively"?
From passive + -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 "passively", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

pepperoni#28,666pitchfork#28,670rationing#28,684rearrange#28,686

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

pretense12 variantsresistor12 variantsmouthful12 variantsmirroring12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list