Five Hard Words Play today

Tier four of five

How to spell surly

What it means

gruff and unfriendly

How it sounds

/ˈsɜrli/

Why it catches people out

Ends -ly but is not an adverb.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

The porter gave a surly nod.

First appeared in

Puzzle #49 — September 11, 2026