virtually

/ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/

//ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li// adv

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

"virtually" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“virtually” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,641. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,641
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Almost but not quite.

Corpus desk

Index EN-virtually · virtually · English

virtually · rank #4,641 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,641
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH venture

Nearest frequency peer: venture (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “virtually”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “virtually” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

virtually vs vitally
78% similar
virtually vs visually
78% similar
virtually vs virtual
78% similar

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

Key facts for virtually
PropertyValue
Headwordvirtually
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,641
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “virtually”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).virtuallylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “venture” (#4,640), “waited” (#4,642), “VA” (#4,639). Among 969 “V” headwords, “virtually” is #4,641. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around virtually (IPA /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #4,641 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for virtually, with forms such as "ivrtually", "virrtually", and "virtaully". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "vitally", "visually", "virtual", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vertually; equivalent to virtual + -ly. The correct English form is virtually, spelled V-I-R-T-U-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Almost but not quite.
  2. 2
    In essence or functionally, but not in fact, formally, or technically.
  3. 3
    Of a subgroup of finite index.
  4. 4
    Of a covering space of finite degree.
  5. 5
    By computer or in cyberspace.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how virtually appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. With our Medicare supplemental insurance plan, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. (Advertisement)
  2. By surviving the first six minutes Hargreaves matched the total amount of playing time he had managed previously in virtually three years - and by scoring his first goal since April 2008 he set the hosts on their way to a fifth win of the season in all competitions.

Etymology

From Middle English vertually; equivalent to virtual + -ly.

This word in other languages

prácticamente(Español)quasiment(Français)nahezu(Deutsch)virtualmente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ivrtually
  • virrtually
  • virtaully
  • virttually
  • virtuallyy
  • virtualy
  • virtualyl
  • virtulaly
  • virutally
  • vitrually
  • vritually
  • vvirtually

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ivrtually2virrtually1virtaully2virttually1virtuallyy1virtualy1virtualyl2virtulaly2
Edit distance from "virtually"

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 "virtually"?
"virtually" is spelled V-I-R-T-U-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/.
What does "virtually" mean?
As an adverb, "virtually" means: Almost but not quite.
What words are commonly confused with "virtually"?
"virtually" is commonly confused with "vitally", "visually", "virtual". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "virtually"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "virtually" is /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/. 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 "virtually"?
From Middle English vertually; equivalent to virtual + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "virtually", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

responded#4,629occasions#4,618gathering#4,675Indonesia#4,680

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

removing12 variantsconvince12 variantsclassical12 variantschoosing12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list