The spelling of the word "fairley" is often mistaken for "fairly". In IPA phonetic transcription, "fairley" would be pronounced as /ˈfɛərli/. The first syllable "fair-" matches the pronunciation of the word "fair", while the second syllable "-ley" sounds like "lay". This spelling could be confusing because the "-ley" ending is not common in English, unlike the "-ly" ending, which is commonly used to form adverbs. Despite its spelling, "fairley" has found its place as a surname among some families.
The word "fairly" comes from the Old English word "fægerlīce", which means "beautifully" or "pleasantly". It is a combination of the word "fæger", meaning "fair" or "beautiful", and "-līce", which is an adverbial suffix denoting manner or condition. Over time, "fægerlīce" evolved into "fairly", indicating something done in a fair or just manner.