What does ly stand for in a word?

"Ly" is a common suffix in English words, but it doesn't stand for anything specific. It's used to form adverbs from adjectives.

Here's how it works:

* Adjective: describes a noun (e.g., happy, slow, beautiful)

* Adverb: describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., happily, slowly, beautifully)

So, adding "ly" to an adjective turns it into an adverb that describes how something is done.

Here are some examples:

* Happy (adjective) -> Happily (adverb)

* Slow (adjective) -> Slowly (adverb)

* Beautiful (adjective) -> Beautifully (adverb)

There are a few exceptions to this rule, but in general, "ly" is used to create adverbs.