Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell definitely

Definitely is spelled D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y. It is definite + ly, and definite has finite in it: -ITE, then -LY.

What it means: Without question and beyond doubt.

In a sentence: I definitely will share my toys with you. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: define, definition, definitive, indefinite, definiteness. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Definitely” comes from the Latin root *finis*, meaning “end” or “limit,” through the word *definite* (“clearly set within limits”). It became common in English in the 16th–17th centuries and is now one of the most frequently misspelled words in online writing.

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

totally · happily · seriously · personally · physically · rapidly · constantly · ultimately

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