To do something incorrectly means to do it in the wrong way, with mistakes or errors. When you spell a word incorrectly, you've mixed up or left out letters. When you solve a math problem incorrectly, your answer doesn't match what the problem actually asks for.

The word helps us talk about mistakes without being harsh. A teacher might say, “You solved this problem incorrectly,” which points out the error while staying focused on the work, not the person. It's more neutral than saying “You messed up” or “That's wrong.”

Sometimes doing something incorrectly just means a small slip, like putting your shoes on the wrong feet. Other times it matters more, like following a recipe incorrectly and ending up with a cake that won't rise. The key is that there's a right way to do something, and incorrectly means you didn't follow it.

The opposite is correctly, which means doing something the right way, following the rules or steps as they should be. Everyone does things incorrectly sometimes. What matters is noticing the mistake and learning how to do it correctly next time.