Editing 2871: Definitely

{{comic
| number    = 2871
| date      = December 22, 2023
| title     = Definitely
| image     = definitely_2x.png
| imagesize = 463x461px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = A really mean prank you can play on someone who's picky about words is to add a 'definitely->definitively' autocorrect rule to their keyboard.
}}

==Explanation==
The word "''{{wiktionary|definitely}}''" is commonly {{wiktionary|misspelt}}{{Actual citation needed}} because the {{w|vowel}}s in the middle syllables are reduced to unstressed {{w|centralized vowel}}s that [https://youtu.be/qu4zyRqILYM?t=111 can be spelled with any vowel letter], or are omitted completely. (The Wiktionary link gives three pronunciations, /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/, /ˈdɛf.ə.nɪt.li/, /ˈdɛf.nɪt.li/, which are just some of the differences you might encounter.) Remembering that it ultimately has a common root with "finite", and thus has the two 'i's, might not help if you also/instead perhaps link it in your head to "''define''" (which might erroneously lead to "''defin'''e'''tely''") and not "definition").

The comic gives twelve 'words' that the subtitle claims are all real, and gives their definitions, whereas in reality only the first (the definitely definitive spelling of "''definitely''") and the last (defying the trend by being the actual word "''{{wiktionary|defiantly}}''") are indeed so.

{| class="wikitable"
! Word
! Meaning
! Notes
|-
| Definitely
| Definitely
| This is a real word.{{citation needed}}
|-
| Definetly
| ''Almost'' definitely
| This "word" has a Wiktionary entry that indicates it is a common misspelling of "definitely."
|-
| Definately
| Probably
| This "word" has a Wiktionary entry that indicates it is a common misspelling of "definitely." This word has also been used previously in [[1238: Enlightenment]].
|-
| Definatly
| Probably not
| This "word" has a Wiktionary entry that indicates it is a common misspelling of "definitely."
|-
| Defenitely
| Not telling (it's a surprise)
| 
|-
| Defintely
| Per the prophecy
| 
|-
| Definetely
| Definitely, maybe
| This is a reference to the romantic-comedy film {{w|Definitely, Maybe}}.
|-
| Definantly
| To be decided by coin toss
| 
|-
| Defanitely
| In one universe out of 14 million
| This references the film "{{w|Avengers: Infinity War}}". In this movie, Doctor Strange looks into the future and sees 14 million possible outcomes, but only one of them is favorable.
|-
| Defineatly
| Only the gods know
| 
|-
| Definitly
| Unless someone cute shows up
| 
|-
| Defiantly
| Defiantly
| This is a real word.{{citation needed}} However, "defiantly" may also be such a common misspelling because of spellcheck. Other mistakes are caught and can be corrected, but the substitution of a different real word is harder to identify as wrong, especially when the correction mechanism jumped the 'wrong way' in rendering a correct spelling. e.g., the misspelling "definatly" (with both substitution and omission errors separating it from the intended word) may be deemed incorrectly correctable to "defiantly" (a single transposition away from what was typed).
|}

The first three alternate 'words' listed do have Wiktionary entries that indicate they are common mis-spellings of the first, and the last has a secondary 'meaning' of possibly being such an error, but (as of the publication of this comic/edit) the words "''defenitely''", "''defintely''", "''definetely''", "''definantly''", "''defanitely''", "''defineatly''" and "''definitly''" are ''so'' wrong that they don't even have a corrective article created for them. Some of them don't even look like they'd even be sufficiently homophonic substitutes, though the actions of accent and dialect may indeed be capable of creating compatible (mis)elocutions for each.

The title text adds to the word confusion by suggesting the real word "''{{wiktionary|definitively}}''" (for which Wiktionary has a 'See also' link to "definitely") be made to be used (against the will of a word-wise individual) as a substitution for the original definitely definitive spelling. In certain contexts it even fulfils the same basic sense as the original and so may survive proofreading by a third party. Or even the author glancing through their own work, and the brain not twigging the increased number of riser-rich characters but mentally voicing the intended word anyway... Even if it is noticed, it may be considered more a "''{{wiktionary|thinko}}''" than a "''{{wiktionary|typo}}''" as it keeps happening, at least until the afflicted typist starts to pay close and distracting attention to their output.

This kind of [[:Category:Substitutions|substitution]] is a recurring subject on xkcd, with one of the more famous ones being [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]], where "''keyboard''" is replaced by "''leopard''" in the text.

==Transcript==
:[A list of 12 words with their meanings. The lines between the words and their meaning are aligned, with the words to the left being right-aligned. Above the 12 rows of words there are underlined captions:]
:<u>Word</u> &nbsp; <u>Meaning</u>

:Definitely - Definitely
:Definetly - ''Almost'' definitely
:Definately - Probably
:Definatly - Probably not
:Defenitely - Not telling (it's a surprise)
:Defintely - Per the prophecy
:Definetely - Definitely, maybe
:Definantly - To be decided by coin toss
:Defanitely - In one universe out of 14 million
:Defineatly - Only the gods know
:Definitly - Unless someone cute shows up
:Defiantly - Defiantly

:[Caption below the panel:]
:People think the word "definitely" is often misspelled, but it's actually just several words with different meanings.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Substitutions]] <!-- Title text -->