possibly

/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/

//ˈpɒs.ə.bli// adv

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

"possibly" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“possibly” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,770. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,770
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker.

Corpus desk

Index EN-possibly · possibly · English

possibly · rank #1,770 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,770
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH patient

Nearest frequency peer: patient (-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 “possibly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “possibly” 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).

possibly vs possible
88% similar

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

Key facts for possibly
PropertyValue
Headwordpossibly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,770
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “possibly”

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).possiblylands 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 “patient” (#1,769), “prove” (#1,771), “onto” (#1,768). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “possibly” is #1,770. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around possibly (IPA /ˈpɒs.ə.bli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #1,770 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for possibly, with forms such as "opssibly", "posibly", and "posisbly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "possible", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From possible + -ly. The correct English form is possibly, spelled P-O-S-S-I-B-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker.
  2. 2
    In the realm of possibility; indicates that the action may successfully be performed (is not impossible) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker that might limit the performance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: maybe, perhaps, mayhap, mayhaps, by chance, perchance, peradventure; conceivably
  2. Possibly, they will make gains in the midterm elections.

Etymology

From possible + -ly.

This word in other languages

posiblemente(Español)possiblement(Français)vielleicht(Deutsch)possivelmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opssibly
  • posibly
  • posisbly
  • possbily
  • possibbly
  • possiblly
  • possiblyy
  • possibyl
  • possilby
  • ppossibly
  • psosibly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of possibly - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

opssibly2posibly1posisbly2possbily2possibbly1possiblly1possiblyy1possibyl2
Edit distance from "possibly"

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 "possibly"?
"possibly" is spelled P-O-S-S-I-B-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒs.ə.bli/.
What does "possibly" mean?
As an adverb, "possibly" means: Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker.
What words are commonly confused with "possibly"?
"possibly" is commonly confused with "possible". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "possibly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "possibly" is /ˈpɒs.ə.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 "possibly"?
From possible + -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 "possibly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

software#1,775birthday#1,783changing#1,787shooting#1,737

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

balance11 variantsconcept11 variantsCharles11 variantsknowing11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list