patently
/ˈpætən(t)li/adverb
patently is spelled P-A-T-E-N-T-L-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, patently means “In a clear and unambiguous manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in patently?
| Letters | 8: P-A-T-E-N-T-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 33,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is patently?
Patently appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce patently?
- UK /ˈpeɪtəntli/
- US /ˈpætən(t)li/
- US /ˈpeɪtən(t)li/
Patently has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-patently.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of patently
- more patently comparative
- most patently superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does patently mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a clear and unambiguous manner.
- 2
Outspread, or spreading at right angles to the axis.
abaxial surface patently pilose-puberulous
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Patently in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense in a clear and unambiguous manner:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | clairement, absolument |
| German | offensichtlich, offenbar |
| Spanish | patentemente, a ojos vista, a ojos vistas |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does patently come from?
From patent + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).