# subtly

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈsʌt.li/ · frequency rank #19,709

## Definitions
1. With subtleness, in a subtle manner; with cleverness rather than brute force.

## Etymology
From Middle English sotilly; equivalent to subtle + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **sully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-sully)
- **surly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-surly)
- **supply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-supply)
- **surely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-surely)
- **subway** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-subway)
- **sultry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtly-vs-sultry)
- **subtle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtle-vs-subtly)
- **softly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/softly-vs-subtly)
- **subtlety** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/subtlety-vs-subtly)

## Common misspellings (10)
`sbutly`, `ssubtly`, `subbtly`, `sublty`, `subtlly`, `subtlyy`, `subttly`, `subtyl`, `sutbly`, `usbtly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/subtly