specifically
/spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/
"specifically" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“specifically” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,269 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #2,269
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 17
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a specific manner, applying to or naming a particular thing or things, expressly, explicitly.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | specifically |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #2,269 |
| Misspellings tracked | 17 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “specifically” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for specifically is 12 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,269 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for specifically, with forms such as "psecifically", "sepcifically", and "spceifically". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From specific + -ally. The correct English form is specifically, spelled S-P-E-C-I-F-I-C-A-L-L-Y.
Definition
- 1In a specific manner, applying to or naming a particular thing or things, expressly, explicitly.
- 2For a specific purpose or reason.
Etymology
From specific + -ally.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: psecifically,sepcifically,spceifically,speccifically,specfiically,specifcially,speciffically,specifiaclly,specificallyy,specificaly,specificalyl,specificcally,specificlaly,speciifcally,speicfically,sppecifically,sspecifically
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of specifically - 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.
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
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Using “specifically”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-P-E-C-I-F-I-C-A-L-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/ (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.