Word Confusion: Snuggly versus Snugly

Posted July 13, 2021 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
1 Jan 2023

I was feeling quite smug when I questioned the “. . . deep chestnut hair peeking out from the edges of the hat’s border that snuggly hugged the man’s head.”

While I did learn that snuggly is a non-recognized spelling alternative for snugly, it is an adjective (which describes nouns and pronouns). If you want to describe a verb . . .*cough, cough* . . . hugged, ya gotta go with the adverb . . . snugly.

Otherwise, I’m’a thinkin’ the man is wearing a cuddly hat that loves the man very much . . .

Keep it in mind, snuggly is an adjective while snugly is an adverb. Yep, you simply cannot trust those -lys.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Snuggly	Snugly
All Wrapped Up by Martin Cathrae is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Flickr. — Hershey looks all snuggly and content.	Paramedic Wearing PPE Mask, Eye Protection, and Gown, Ireland, 11 April 2020, is AugusteBlanqui‘s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Yep, it’s a good idea if your mask fits snugly.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective Nonstandard alternative spelling of snugly	Adverb
Comfortable, warm, and cozy Cuddly Pleasant to snuggle with Fond of snuggling	In a comfortable, warm, and cozy or well-protected manner In a way that is tight or close-fitting Securely
Examples:
She had to stay in her snuggly bed until the last second. My blanket is very snuggly. Nicole was a very snuggly girl after she broke up with her boyfriend. Mmm, I’m feeling all snuggly.	The baby nestled snugly in his rescuer’s arms. They were snugly tucked into bed. The collar should fit snugly around your neck. The phone sits snugly in the cradle.
Derivatives:
Adjective: snugglier, snuggliest Noun: snuggling Verb: snuggle, snuggled, snuggles	Adjective: snug, snugger, snuggest Noun: snug, snuggle, snugness Verb: snugs, snugged, snuggery, snugging
History of the Word:
It was first recorded in 1680–90; snug + -le, adding the extra g to clarify the pronunciation, making it a frequentative of the verb snug. Later, the -y was added, replacing the e to create the adjective.	Late 16th century, originally in nautical use in the sense shipshape, compact, prepared for bad weather, and is probably of Low German or Dutch origin.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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