respectably

adv

"respectably" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“respectably” is uncommon English (frequency #82,723 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,723
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a respectable manner; so as to gain respect.

Key facts for respectably
PropertyValue
Headwordrespectably
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
Letters11
Frequency rank#82,723
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “respectably” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). respectably lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

respectably is uncommon English at frequency #82,723 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anadverb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for respectably, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From respectable + -ly. The correct English form is respectably, spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T-A-B-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a respectable manner; so as to gain respect.
  2. 2
    Moderately; pretty well.

Etymology

From respectable + -ly.

This word in other languages

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 "respectably"?
"respectably" is spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T-A-B-L-Y.
What does "respectably" mean?
As an adverb, "respectably" means: In a respectable manner; so as to gain respect.
What is the origin of the word "respectably"?
From respectable + -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.

Using “respectably”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-S-P-E-C-T-A-B-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list