timely
/ˈtaɪm.li/adjective, adverb
timely is spelled T-I-M-E-L-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, timely means “Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in timely?
| Letters | 6: T-I-M-E-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.1 times per million words; the 8,918th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is timely?
Timely appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce timely?
- /ˈtaɪm.li/
Timely has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-timely.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of timely
- timelier comparative
- timeliest superlative
- more timely comparative
- most timely superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does timely mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.
- 2
Happening or appearing at the proper time.
- 3
obsoleteKeeping time or measure.
adverb
- 1
archaicIn good time; early, quickly.
- 2
obsoleteAt the right time; seasonably.
- 3
In compliance with applicable time limits.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Timely in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | zeitgerecht, fristgerecht, zur rechten Zeit, rechtzeitig, zeitnah, zügig |
| Portuguese | oportuno |
| French | opportun, au bon moment |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does timely come from?
From Middle English timely, tymely, timliche, from Old English *tīmlīc (adjective) and tīmlīċe (“in good time; timely; soon”, adverb), equivalent to time + -ly. Cognate with Danish timelig, Swedish timlig, Icelandic tímalegur, tímanlegur.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).