The word "deceivingly" is often misspelled as "deceptively" due to its similar meaning. However, the correct spelling of this word is "deceivingly" /dɪˈsiːvɪŋli/. The first syllable is pronounced with the short "i" sound /ɪ/, followed by the long "e" sound /iː/ in the second syllable. The "-ingly" suffix is pronounced with a soft "ng" sound /ŋɡli/. This adverb is used to describe an action or appearance that is misleading or deceptive.
Deceivingly is an adverb derived from the verb "deceive," which means to intentionally mislead or trick someone into believing something that is not true. When something is described as deceivingly, it suggests that there is an element of deception or misleading involved, but it may not be immediately apparent or obvious.
The term deceivingly can be used to describe a situation or an appearance that presents itself as something different or more benign than it actually is. It implies that there is a hidden or deceptive quality that may cause one to make false assumptions or misinterpret something.
For example, if someone describes another person's smile as deceivingly friendly, they are suggesting that although the smile may appear welcoming and pleasant, there might be ulterior motives or hidden intentions behind it. Similarly, if an advertisement claims a product to have "deceivingly low" prices, it means that the prices may seem inexpensive initially but might be disguised with additional costs or limitations.
Overall, deceivingly serves as an important qualifier to caution against taking something at face value. It highlights the need for alertness and discernment to avoid falling victim to deception or misunderstanding.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "deceivingly" is formed from the root verb "deceive", which dates back to the 13th century. The etymology of "deceive" goes back to the Old French word "deceivre" and the Latin word "decipere". "Decipere" was derived from the combination of the prefix "de-" (meaning "from" or "away") and the root "capere" (meaning "to take" or "to seize"). Therefore, the word "deceivingly" follows the same pattern, with the suffix "-ly" added to "deceiving". As a result, etymologically, "deceivingly" describes something characterized by or pertaining to deception.