passively
/ˈpæs.ɪv.li/
"passively" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“passively” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,663 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #28,663
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | passively |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #28,663 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “passively” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for passively is 9 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,663 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
- 2In an acquiescent manner; resignedly or submissively.
- 3In the passive voice; having a passive construction.
Etymology
From passive + -ly.
This word in other languages
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.
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 “passively”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-A-S-S-I-V-E-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “passivity” - see the side-by-side comparison. passively vs passivity
- 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.