timely

/ˈtaɪmli/

//ˈtaɪmli// adj

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

"timely" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“timely” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,996 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,996
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

timely vs times
67% similar
timely vs timer
67% similar
timely vs Timmy
50% similar

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

Key facts for timely
PropertyValue
Headwordtimely
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtaɪmli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,996
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “timely” 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). timely lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for timely is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtaɪmli/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,996 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for timely, with forms such as "itmely", "tiemly", and "timelly". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "times", "timer", "Timmy", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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. The correct English form is timely, spelled T-I-M-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.
  2. 2
    Happening or appearing at the proper time.
  3. 3
    Keeping time or measure.

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

well-timedtempestiveopportuneseasonabletidytimefultimelytimeousheaven-senttimesome

Antonyms

untimely

This word in other languages

opportun(Français)zeitgerecht(Deutsch)oportuno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itmely,tiemly,timelly,timelyy,timeyl,timley,timmely,tmiely,ttimely

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of timely - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

itmely2tiemly2timelly1timelyy1timeyl2timley2timmely1tmiely2
Edit distance from "timely"

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 "timely"?
"timely" is spelled T-I-M-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtaɪmli/.
What does "timely" mean?
As an adjective, "timely" means: Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.
What words are commonly confused with "timely"?
"timely" is commonly confused with "times", "timer", "Timmy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "timely"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "timely" is /ˈtaɪmli/. 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 "timely"?
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. 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 “timely”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-I-M-E-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtaɪmli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “times” - see the side-by-side comparison. timely vs times
  • 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.

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

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