respectively
/ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/
"respectively" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“respectively” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,331 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #3,331
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 19
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a relative manner; often used when comparing array lists, where the term denotes that the items in the lists correspond to each other in the order they are given.
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 | respectively |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #3,331 |
| Misspellings tracked | 19 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “respectively” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for respectively is 12 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,331 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "In a relative manner; often used when comparing array lists, where the term denotes that the items in the lists correspond to each other in the order they are given.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for respectively, with forms such as "erspectively", "repsectively", and "resepctively". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "respective", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From respective + -ly. The correct English form is respectively, spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E-L-Y.
Definition
- 1In a relative manner; often used when comparing array lists, where the term denotes that the items in the lists correspond to each other in the order they are given.
Etymology
From respective + -ly.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: erspectively,repsectively,resepctively,respcetively,respecctively,respecitvely,respectievly,respectivelly,respectivelyy,respectiveyl,respectivley,respectivvely,respecttively,respectviely,respetcively,resppectively,resspectively,rrespectively,rsepectively
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of respectively - 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
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Using “respectively”
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-I-V-E-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “respective” - see the side-by-side comparison. respectively vs respective
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.