sadly
/ˈsædli/adverb
sadly is spelled S-A-D-L-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,309th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, sadly means “In a sad manner; sorrowfully” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sadly?
| Letters | 5: S-A-D-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 15 times per million words; the 5,309th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is sadly?
Sadly appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,309th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sadly?
- /ˈsædli/
Sadly has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sadly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sadly
- sadlier comparative
- more sadly comparative
- sadliest superlative
- most sadly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sadly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a sad manner; sorrowfully.
“Only when we climb up can we see it,” he said sadly.
- 2
Unfortunately, sad to say.
If you think you’re getting out of this place alive, you are sadly mistaken, my friend.
- 3
In a manner to cause sadness; badly; terribly.
- 4
datedVery much (of a desire etc.); dearly; urgently.
- 5
obsoleteDeeply, completely.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sadly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense in a sad manner:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tristement |
| German | traurig, traurigerweise |
| Portuguese | tristemente |
| Spanish | tristemente, con alma en pena, luctuosamente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sadly come from?
From Middle English sadly; equivalent to sad + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).