probably

/ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli/

//ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“probably” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #425. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#425
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In all likelihood.

Corpus desk

Index EN-probably · probably · English

probably · rank #425 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-CORE #425
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH playing

Nearest frequency peer: playing (-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 “probably”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “probably” 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).

probably vs probable
88% similar

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

Key facts for probably
PropertyValue
Headwordprobably
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli/
Letters8
Frequency rank#425
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “probably”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).probablylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “playing” (#424), “saying” (#426), “nice” (#423). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “probably” is #425. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around probably (IPA /ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #425 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "In all likelihood.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for probably, with forms such as "porbably", "pprobably", and "prboably". 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, "probable", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English probably, probabily, equivalent to probable + -ly. The correct English form is probably, spelled P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In all likelihood.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She probably has arrived by now.
  2. She has probably arrived by now.

Etymology

From Middle English probably, probabily, equivalent to probable + -ly.

This word in other languages

probablemente(Español)probablement(Français)wahrscheinlich(Deutsch)provavelmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porbably
  • pprobably
  • prboably
  • proabbly
  • probabbly
  • probablly
  • probablyy
  • probabyl
  • probalby
  • probbably
  • probbaly
  • prrobably
  • rpobably

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of probably - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

porbably2pprobably1prboably2proabbly2probabbly1probablly1probablyy1probabyl2
Edit distance from "probably"

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 "probably"?
"probably" is spelled P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli/.
What does "probably" mean?
As an adverb, "probably" means: In all likelihood.
What words are commonly confused with "probably"?
"probably" is commonly confused with "probable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "probably"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "probably" is /ˈpɹɒb.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 "probably"?
From Middle English probably, probabily, equivalent to probable + -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 "probably", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

remember#417possible#438question#448research#402

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

political13 variantsavailable13 variantseducation13 variantschildren13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list