slavishly

/ˈsleɪvɪʃli/

//ˈsleɪvɪʃli// adv

"slavishly" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“slavishly” is uncommon English (frequency #77,204 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,204
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a slavish manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-slavishly · slavishly · English

slavishly · rank #77,204 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #77,204
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH slants

Nearest frequency peer: slants (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “slavishly”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “slavishly” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for slavishly
PropertyValue
Headwordslavishly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈsleɪvɪʃli/
Letters9
Frequency rank#77,204
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “slavishly” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).slavishlyfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “slants” (#77,203), “SLD” (#77,205), “sleepwalker” (#77,206). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “slavishly” is #77,204. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

slavishly is uncommon English at frequency #77,204 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈsleɪvɪʃli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In a slavish manner.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for slavishly, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From slavish + -ly. The correct English form is slavishly, spelled S-L-A-V-I-S-H-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a slavish manner.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how slavishly appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Although the words were not slavishly borrowed, the expressions partook of the simple dignity of the liturgy to which she had been accustomed, and was probably as worthy of the Being to whom they were addressed as they could well be made by human powers.
  2. "Railways seldom slavishly followed styles to be seen in the mainstream of contemporary architecture," HE [Historic England] explains.

Etymology

From slavish + -ly.

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 "slavishly"?
"slavishly" is spelled S-L-A-V-I-S-H-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsleɪvɪʃli/.
What does "slavishly" mean?
As an adverb, "slavishly" means: In a slavish manner.
How do you pronounce "slavishly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slavishly" is /ˈsleɪvɪʃli/. 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 "slavishly"?
From slavish + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "slavishly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list