Definitely is one of those words that people misspell with remarkable consistency. The wrong version — definately — appears so frequently in everyday writing that some people are surprised to learn it is not correct. If you have ever typed the word and been unsure whether it looked right, this guide is for you.
We cover the correct spelling, explain exactly why the mistake happens so often, and give you a memory trick that makes it impossible to get wrong.
The correct spelling is definitely.
d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y
The common misspelling definately is incorrect. So is definitly. The only correct spelling is definitely.
The most common mistake — swapping the second I for an A, producing definately — happens because of how the word sounds when spoken quickly. In casual speech, the middle syllables of definitely can blur together, and the -ite- portion sounds similar to -ate- in many accents. This leads writers to spell the word phonetically as definately, following the sound rather than the correct spelling. A secondary common mistake is dropping a vowel entirely, producing definitly. Both errors stem from relying on pronunciation rather than learning the word’s structure.
The key is to see the word finite hiding inside definitely. Finite is a real English word meaning limited or having an end — and it sits right in the middle of definitely: de-finite-ly. If you can spell finite, you can spell definitely. Just add de- at the start and -ly at the end.
Definitely is an adverb meaning without doubt, certainly, or absolutely. It is used to express certainty or to confirm something emphatically.
If you find spelling a challenge, you are in good company. Here are some other words that regularly trip writers up:
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The correct spelling is definitely. The spelling definately is incorrect and is one of the most common spelling mistakes in English.
The key is to see the word finite hiding inside definitely. Finite is a real English word meaning limited or having an end — and it sits right in the middle of definitely: de-finite-ly. If you can spell finite, you can spell definitely. Just add de- at the start and -ly at the end.
Yes — definitely is spelled the same way in both British and American English. Unlike some words where British and American spelling differ, there is no variation here. Both varieties use the same spelling: definitely.
Definitely is an adverb meaning without doubt, certainly, or absolutely. It is used to express certainty or to confirm something emphatically.
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Spelling errors are easy to miss in your own writing — particularly when you are focused on the content rather than individual letters. Our professional proofreading service catches these errors before they reach your reader, ensuring your work is accurate and polished every time. Another commonly misspelled word that trips writers up in the same way is separate — almost always misspelled as seperate.
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