secondarily

/ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/

//ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli// adv

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

The verdict

“secondarily” is an uncommon English word, ranked #59,697 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#59,697
frequency rank, English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a secondary manner or degree.

Key facts for secondarily
PropertyValue
Headwordsecondarily
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/
Letters11
Frequency rank#59,697
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “secondarily” 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). secondarily lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for secondarily is 11 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/. Corpus data places it at rank #59,697 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for secondarily in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. 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 Middle English secundarili. By surface analysis, secondar(i) + -ly. The correct English form is secondarily, spelled S-E-C-O-N-D-A-R-I-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a secondary manner or degree.
  2. 2
    In a secondary manner or degree.

Etymology

From Middle English secundarili. By surface analysis, secondar(i) + -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 "secondarily"?
"secondarily" is spelled S-E-C-O-N-D-A-R-I-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/.
What does "secondarily" mean?
As an adverb, "secondarily" means: In a secondary manner or degree.
How do you pronounce "secondarily"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "secondarily" is /ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/. 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 "secondarily"?
From Middle English secundarili. By surface analysis, secondar(i) + -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 “secondarily”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-C-O-N-D-A-R-I-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsɛkənˈdɛɹəli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list