softly
/ˈsɔftli/adverb
softly is spelled S-O-F-T-L-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, softly means “In a soft manner; gently” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in softly?
| Letters | 6: S-O-F-T-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.9 times per million words; the 10,028th 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 softly?
Softly appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th 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 softly?
- US /ˈsɔftli/
- /ˈsɑftli/
- UK /ˈsɒftli/
Softly 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-softly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with softly
Also written: softly, softly caught the monkey.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of softly
- softlier comparative
- more softly comparative
- softliest superlative
- most softly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does softly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a soft manner; gently.
The masseuse was rubbing my back too softly for my liking, so I asked her to go harder.
- 2
Not loudly; nearly inaudibly.
whisper softly in someone's ear
- 3
With subdued color; faded or misty with distance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Softly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | doucement |
| German | sachte , leise |
| Portuguese | suavemente |
| Spanish | suavemente , inaudiblemente, silenciosamente |
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 softly come from?
From Middle English softely, softeliche, equivalent to soft + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).