strictly

/ˈstɹɪktli/

//ˈstɹɪktli// adv

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

"strictly" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“strictly” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,555. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,555
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-strictly · strictly · English

strictly · rank #5,555 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,555
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sporting

Nearest frequency peer: sporting (-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 “strictly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “strictly” 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).

strictly vs strict
75% similar
strictly vs stricter
75% similar

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

Key facts for strictly
PropertyValue
Headwordstrictly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈstɹɪktli/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,555
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “strictly”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).strictlylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “sporting” (#5,554), “sunshine” (#5,556), “spirits” (#5,553). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “strictly” is #5,555. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around strictly (IPA /ˈstɹɪktli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #5,555 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for strictly, with forms such as "srtictly", "sstrictly", and "stirctly". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "strict", "stricter", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From strict + -ly. The correct English form is strictly, spelled S-T-R-I-C-T-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a strict manner.
  2. 2
    In a limited manner; only
  3. 3
    In a narrow or limited sense.
  4. 4
    In a manner that applies to every member of a set or every interval of a function

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He adhered strictly to the diet his doctor prescribed.
  2. “If any pupil considers it acceptable to bring a pet into this school, let me tell you it is forbidden. Strictly forbidden!” pronounced the headmaster from the front of the class.

Etymology

From strict + -ly.

This word in other languages

estrictamente(Español)strictement(Français)estritamente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • srtictly
  • sstrictly
  • stirctly
  • strcitly
  • stricctly
  • striclty
  • strictlly
  • strictlyy
  • stricttly
  • strictyl
  • stritcly
  • strrictly
  • sttrictly
  • tsrictly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

srtictly2sstrictly1stirctly2strcitly2stricctly1striclty2strictlly1strictlyy1
Edit distance from "strictly"

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 "strictly"?
"strictly" is spelled S-T-R-I-C-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɹɪktli/.
What does "strictly" mean?
As an adverb, "strictly" means: In a strict manner.
What words are commonly confused with "strictly"?
"strictly" is commonly confused with "strict", "stricter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "strictly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "strictly" is /ˈstɹɪktli/. 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 "strictly"?
From strict + -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 "strictly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sporting#5,554sunshine#5,556sometime#5,552paradise#5,529

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

politician14 variantscriminals14 variantsearthquake14 variantsincidents14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list