properly and property differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. properly means “in the right manner; correctly; suitably”. property means “something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone”. property is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈpɹɑpɚli/
1.adv.in the right manner; correctly; suitably
“please do your job properly!”
2.adv.indicating exactness or preciseness
“he was doing precisely (or exactly) what she had told him to do”
3.adv.in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
“he was appropriately dressed”
/ˈpɹɑpɚti/
1.n.something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
“that hat is my property”
2.n.a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class
“a study of the physical properties of atomic particles”
3.n.any area set aside for a particular purpose
“who owns this place?”
| properly | property | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɹɑpɚli/ | /ˈpɹɑpɚti/ |
| Said | PRAH-pur-lee | PRAH-pur-tee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Letters | 8 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adverb | noun |
| Senses | 3 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | decently, decent, right | belongings, holding |
Full entry for properly · Full entry for property · More comparisons