Brightly

How to spell brightly

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce brightly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does brightly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that gives out or reflects a lot of light, or in a vivid, cheerful manner.

Brightly in a sentence

• The kitchen lamp shone brightly over the worktop.

• She had painted the spare room brightly to lift the mood.

Where does brightly come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built on the native English adjective 'bright', which comes from the Old English beorht, meaning 'shining', 'radiant' or 'clear'. That word traces back to a Proto-Germanic root berhtaz, with cousins across the Germanic languages, all carrying the sense of brilliance and gleaming light. The adverb form simply adds the common ending -ly, itself from the Old English -lice, meaning 'in the manner of', which is why so many English adverbs end this way. Notice that the original spelling had the letters shuffled as 'beorht'; over centuries the order settled into 'bright', with the silent 'gh' preserving a sound that was once an audible throaty consonant. That fossilised 'gh' is the main spelling trap, since it is no longer pronounced but must still be written.

How the word is built

• bright (from Old English beorht: shining, radiant)
• -ly (adverb suffix)