vainly

/ˈveɪnli/

//ˈveɪnli// adv

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

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

The verdict

“vainly” is uncommon English (frequency #62,600 among 7,391 “V” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,600
frequency rank, English
7,391
“V” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a vain pursuit; to no avail.

Key facts for vainly
PropertyValue
Headwordvainly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈveɪnli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#62,600
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vainly” 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). vainly 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

vainly is uncommon English at frequency #62,600 among 7,391 “V” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈveɪnli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for vainly in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly. The correct English form is vainly, spelled V-A-I-N-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a vain pursuit; to no avail.
  2. 2
    With a vain attitude; in a self-approving manner.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly.

Synonyms

in vain

This word in other languages

vanamente(Español)

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 "vainly"?
"vainly" is spelled V-A-I-N-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈveɪnli/.
What does "vainly" mean?
As an adverb, "vainly" means: In a vain pursuit; to no avail.
How do you pronounce "vainly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vainly" is /ˈveɪnli/. 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 "vainly"?
Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly. 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 “vainly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-A-I-N-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈveɪnli/ (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