softly

/ˈsɔftli/

//ˈsɔftli// adv

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

"softly" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“softly” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,133. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,133
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-softly · softly · English

softly · rank #10,133 · 10 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,133
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH slightest

Nearest frequency peer: slightest (-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 “softly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “softly” 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).

softly vs solely
67% similar
softly vs subtly
67% similar
softly vs sorely
67% similar

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

Key facts for softly
PropertyValue
Headwordsoftly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈsɔftli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,133
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “softly”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).softlylands 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 “slightest” (#10,132), “specimens” (#10,134), “simplicity” (#10,131). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “softly” is #10,133. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around softly (IPA /ˈsɔftli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #10,133 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for softly, with forms such as "osftly", "sfotly", and "sofftly". 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, "solely", "subtly", "sorely", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English softely, softeliche, equivalent to soft + -ly. The correct English form is softly, spelled S-O-F-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a soft manner; gently.
  2. 2
    Not loudly; nearly inaudibly.
  3. 3
    With subdued color; faded or misty with distance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The masseuse was rubbing my back too softly for my liking, so I asked her to go harder.
  2. He had married a lady well educated and softly nurtured, but not dowered with worldly wealth. […] They would give up ideas of gentle living, of soft raiment, and delicate feeding.

Etymology

From Middle English softely, softeliche, equivalent to soft + -ly.

This word in other languages

suavemente(Español)doucement(Français)sachte(Deutsch)suavemente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • osftly
  • sfotly
  • sofftly
  • soflty
  • softlly
  • softlyy
  • softtly
  • softyl
  • sotfly
  • ssoftly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of softly - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

osftly2sfotly2sofftly1soflty2softlly1softlyy1softtly1softyl2
Edit distance from "softly"

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 "softly"?
"softly" is spelled S-O-F-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɔftli/.
What does "softly" mean?
As an adverb, "softly" means: In a soft manner; gently.
What words are commonly confused with "softly"?
"softly" is commonly confused with "solely", "subtly", "sorely". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "softly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "softly" is /ˈsɔftli/. 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 "softly"?
From Middle English softely, softeliche, equivalent to soft + -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 "softly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stereo#10,136shores#10,129Surrey#10,138scouts#10,125

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

seminar10 variantsseating10 variantswheeler10 variantsamusing10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list