swimmingly

/ˈswɪmɪŋli/

//ˈswɪmɪŋli// adv

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

"swimmingly" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“swimmingly” is uncommon English (frequency #63,289 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,289
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - With a gliding motion suggesting swimming.

Key facts for swimmingly
PropertyValue
Headwordswimmingly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈswɪmɪŋli/
Letters10
Frequency rank#63,289
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “swimmingly” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). swimmingly lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

swimmingly is uncommon English at frequency #63,289 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈswɪmɪŋli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

swimmingly has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From swimming (“(adj.) moving in water as an ordinary means of motion; without difficulty”) + -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives). The correct English form is swimmingly, spelled S-W-I-M-M-I-N-G-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    With a gliding motion suggesting swimming.
  2. 2
    In a very favorable manner; without difficulty; agreeably, successfully.

Etymology

From swimming (“(adj.) moving in water as an ordinary means of motion; without difficulty”) + -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives).

This word in other languages

de maravilla(Español)comme sur des roulettes(Français)fließend(Deutsch)

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 "swimmingly"?
"swimmingly" is spelled S-W-I-M-M-I-N-G-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈswɪmɪŋli/.
What does "swimmingly" mean?
As an adverb, "swimmingly" means: With a gliding motion suggesting swimming.
How do you pronounce "swimmingly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "swimmingly" is /ˈswɪmɪŋli/. 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 "swimmingly"?
From swimming (“(adj.) moving in water as an ordinary means of motion; without difficulty”) + -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives). 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.

Using “swimmingly”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-W-I-M-M-I-N-G-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈswɪmɪŋli/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list