# rarely

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈɹɛːli/ · frequency rank #3,523

## Definitions
1. Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
2. Unusually well; excellently.
3. To a rare degree; very.

## Etymology
From rare + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **rely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-rely)
- **rarer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-rarer)
- **ravel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-ravel)
- **rarity** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-rarity)
- **rarest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-rarest)
- **rudely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarely-vs-rudely)
- **rare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rare-vs-rarely)
- **rally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rally-vs-rarely)

## Common misspellings (9)
`arrely`, `raerly`, `rarelly`, `rarelyy`, `rareyl`, `rarley`, `rarrely`, `rraely`, `rrarely`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rarely