The spelling of the word "onely" has caused much confusion as it is often mistakenly written as "lonely". However, the correct spelling is "onely", with the "o" pronounced as /əʊ/, and not the diphthong /oʊ/ as in "lonely". The word "onely" means "sole" or "only", and is often used in older English texts. It is important to remember the correct spelling and pronunciation of this word to avoid any misunderstandings in communication.