preferably
/ˈpɹɛf.ɹəˌbli/
"preferably" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“preferably” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,090. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #11,090
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
- 16
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In preference; by choice; in a preferable manner.
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 | preferably |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɛf.ɹəˌbli/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #11,090 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “preferably” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 16 spelling variants around preferably (IPA /ˈpɹɛf.ɹəˌbli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #11,090 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In preference; by choice; in a preferable manner.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for preferably, with forms such as "perferably", "ppreferably", and "preefrably". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "preferable", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From preferable + -ly. The correct English form is preferably, spelled P-R-E-F-E-R-A-B-L-Y.
Definition
- 1In preference; by choice; in a preferable manner.
Etymology
From preferable + -ly.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- perferably
- ppreferably
- preefrably
- prefearbly
- preferabbly
- preferablly
- preferablyy
- preferabyl
- preferalby
- preferbaly
- preferrably
- prefferably
- prefreably
- prfeerably
- prreferably
- rpeferably
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of preferably - 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
How do you spell "preferably"?
What does "preferably" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “preferably”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-F-E-R-A-B-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɛf.ɹəˌbli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “preferable” - see the side-by-side comparison. preferably vs preferable
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Same frequency band
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.