Incorrectly

How to spell incorrectly

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce incorrectly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does incorrectly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is wrong, mistaken, or not accurate.

Incorrectly in a sentence

• The form was filled in incorrectly and had to be returned.

• He incorrectly assumed the meeting was on Tuesday.

Where does incorrectly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word builds on 'correct', which comes from the Latin correctus, the past participle of corrigere, meaning 'to make straight' or 'to set right'. That verb joined the prefix com- (here intensive, 'thoroughly') with regere, 'to guide or rule straight', the same root that gives us 'regulate' and 'direct'. English took 'correct' from Latin by way of Old French in the late 1300s, first as a verb for putting faults right and later as an adjective for something free of error. The negating prefix in-, meaning 'not', was attached to form 'incorrect', and the adverb-forming suffix -ly was added to yield 'incorrectly'. The spelling trap lies in stacking these pieces cleanly: the doubled 'r' inside correct and the joining of -ct- to -ly without dropping or doubling a letter.

How the word is built

• in- (not)
• correct (from Latin correctus: set right)
• -ly (adverb suffix)