truly

/ˈtɹuːli/

//ˈtɹuːli// adv

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

"truly" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“truly” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,442 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#1,442
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In accordance with the facts; truthfully, accurately.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

truly vs try
60% similar
truly vs trust
60% similar
truly vs truth
60% similar

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

Key facts for truly
PropertyValue
Headwordtruly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈtɹuːli/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,442
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “truly” 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). truly 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 truly is 5 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɹuːli/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,442 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for truly, with forms such as "rtuly", "trluy", and "trruly". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "try", "trust", "truth", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English truely, treuly, treuli, trewely, treoweliche, treowliche, from Old English trēowlīċe (“faithfully; truly”), equivalent to true + -ly. Cognate with Dutch trouwelijk, Middle Low German truwlike, German treulich, Swedish trolig, Icelandic t… The correct English form is truly, spelled T-R-U-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In accordance with the facts; truthfully, accurately.
  2. 2
    Honestly, genuinely, in fact, really.
  3. 3
    Very.

Etymology

From Middle English truely, treuly, treuli, trewely, treoweliche, treowliche, from Old English trēowlīċe (“faithfully; truly”), equivalent to true + -ly. Cognate with Dutch trouwelijk, Middle Low German truwlike, German treulich, Swedish trolig, Icelandic trygglega.

Synonyms

franklysincerelyhonestlyin point of factliterallyactuallyextremelyexceedinglyvery

This word in other languages

verdaderamente(Español)vraiment(Français)wirklich(Deutsch)realmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtuly,trluy,trruly,trully,trulyy,truyl,ttruly,turly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of truly - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

rtuly2trluy2trruly1trully1trulyy1truyl2ttruly1turly2
Edit distance from "truly"

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 "truly"?
"truly" is spelled T-R-U-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹuːli/.
What does "truly" mean?
As an adverb, "truly" means: In accordance with the facts; truthfully, accurately.
What words are commonly confused with "truly"?
"truly" is commonly confused with "try", "trust", "truth". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "truly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "truly" is /ˈtɹuːli/. 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 "truly"?
From Middle English truely, treuly, treuli, trewely, treoweliche, treowliche, from Old English trēowlīċe (“faithfully; truly”), equivalent to true + -ly. Cognate with Dutch trouwelijk, Middle Low German truwlike, German treulich, Swedish trolig, I... 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 “truly”

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

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