There are 40,600 search results on Bing for the misspelling 'Occasionaly'. 'Occasionaly' ranks in the top 80 of most common errors caught by TripleChecker, with at least 174 websites containing this mistake.¹
The word "occasionally" functions as an adverb. It is used to describe the frequency of an action, indicating that something happens from time to time but not regularly. Its definition is "at infrequent or irregular intervals; now and then."
Occasionally
The word "occasionally" originates from the Latin word "occasio," meaning "opportunity, chance," which is derived from the verb "occidere," meaning "to fall upon." The transition into Middle English included the formation of "occasional," leading to the adverb "occasionally."
The word "occasionally" is pronounced as /əˈkeɪ.ʒən.əl.i/. It can be broken down phonetically into syllables: oc-ca-sion-al-ly.
The word 'occasionally' can be used in a sentence like, "I like to treat myself to a nice dinner occasionally." When using 'occasionally,' it's important to ensure it is spelled correctly, as common misspellings may include 'occasianly' or 'occasionaly,' and it should not be confused with similar-adverb forms that imply frequency, as 'occasionally' suggests a lesser, more sporadic occurrence.