very

/ˈvɛɹi/

//ˈvɛɹi// adv

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

"very" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“very” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #106 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#106
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To a great extent or degree.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

very vs VR
0% similar
very vs vet
50% similar
very vs vex
50% similar

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

Key facts for very
PropertyValue
Headwordvery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈvɛɹi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#106
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “very” 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). very 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 very is 4 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɛɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #106 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for very, with forms such as "evry", "verry", and "veryy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "VR", "vet", "vex", 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 verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr (“true”). … The correct English form is very, spelled V-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To a great extent or degree.
  2. 2
    Conforming to fact, reality or rule; true.
  3. 3
    Used to firmly establish that nothing else surpasses in some respect.

Etymology

From Middle English verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr (“true”). Over time displaced the use of a number of Germanic words or prefixes to convey the sense 'very' such as fele, full-, mægen, sore, sin-, swith, (partially) wel.

Synonyms

above a bitabsolutelysorelyabundantlyall toobut goodcompletelydamneminentlyever soexceedinglyexcessivelyextremelygreatlyhighlyin spadesjollymainmightilymurrainpassingpositivelyprettyquiterightsimplysorespeciallystronglyswithtrulyvastlyveryvery muchwayway toowickedwickedly

Antonyms

almostmostlyslightly

This word in other languages

muy(Español)très(Français)sehr(Deutsch)muito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: evry,verry,veryy,veyr,vrey,vvery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of very - 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.

evry2verry1veryy1veyr2vrey2vvery1
Edit distance from "very"

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 "very"?
"very" is spelled V-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɛɹi/.
What does "very" mean?
As an adverb, "very" means: To a great extent or degree.
What words are commonly confused with "very"?
"very" is commonly confused with "VR", "vet", "vex". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "very"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "very" is /ˈvɛɹi/. 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 "very"?
From Middle English verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr ... 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 “very”

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

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