smartly

/ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli/

//ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli// adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"smartly" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“smartly” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,766. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,766
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-smartly · smartly · English

smartly · rank #31,766 · 12 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,766
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sleeved

Nearest frequency peer: sleeved (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “smartly”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “smartly” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

smartly vs smarts
71% similar
smartly vs sparkly
71% similar
smartly vs startle
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for smartly
PropertyValue
Headwordsmartly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,766
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “smartly”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “sleeved” (#31,765), “smite” (#31,767), “sledgehammer” (#31,764). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “smartly” is #31,766. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around smartly (IPA /ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #31,766 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for smartly, with forms such as "msartly", "samrtly", and "smarlty". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "smarts", "sparkly", "startle", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English smertly; equivalent to smart + -ly. The correct English form is smartly, spelled S-M-A-R-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a smart manner.
  2. 2
    Quickly.
  3. 3
    Intelligently.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. smartly dressed
  2. She wakened in sharp panic, bewildered by the grotesquerie of some half-remembered dream in contrast with the harshness of inclement fact, drowsily realizing that since she had fallen asleep it had come on to rain smartly out of a shrouded sky.

Etymology

From Middle English smertly; equivalent to smart + -ly.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • msartly
  • samrtly
  • smarlty
  • smarrtly
  • smartlly
  • smartlyy
  • smarttly
  • smartyl
  • smatrly
  • smmartly
  • smratly
  • ssmartly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of smartly - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

msartly2samrtly2smarlty2smarrtly1smartlly1smartlyy1smarttly1smartyl2
Edit distance from "smartly"

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 "smartly"?
"smartly" is spelled S-M-A-R-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli/.
What does "smartly" mean?
As an adverb, "smartly" means: In a smart manner.
What words are commonly confused with "smartly"?
"smartly" is commonly confused with "smarts", "sparkly", "startle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "smartly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "smartly" is /ˈsmɑː(ɹ)tli/. 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 "smartly"?
From Middle English smertly; equivalent to smart + -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 "smartly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sleeved#31,765Sigmund#31,763sniping#31,769somatic#31,772

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Schwarz12 variantsSchaefer12 variantssardines12 variantsRosalind12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list