wrongly

Everyday

1. In a way that is not correct; by mistake (spelled wrongly). tree →
2. In a way that is unfair or morally wrong (wrongly blamed). tree →

In the lessons

In school, words, sums and answers can be done wrongly; checking your work catches mistakes. In stories and citizenship lessons, people can be wrongly accused or blamed — fairness means checking the facts. Phrases: wrongly accused, wrongly blamed, rightly or wrongly, wrongly spelled.

Examples

• The word was spelled wrongly on the poster. tree →
• He was wrongly blamed for breaking the window. tree →
• I added the numbers wrongly, so I got the wrong answer. tree →
• Rightly or wrongly, she decided to leave early. tree →
• The letter was wrongly delivered to our house. tree →
• The thief was caught and the man who was wrongly accused was set free. tree →

Note

«Wrongly» is used before a past participle (wrongly accused, wrongly spelled). After a verb, everyday English often uses «wrong»: You spelled it wrong. Both «spelled it wrong» and «spelled it wrongly» are correct.