Not a soft word (5)

I believe the answer is:

aloud

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'not' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adverbs. Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?

'a soft word' is the wordplay.
'soft word' becomes 'loud' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'a'+'loud'='ALOUD'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for aloud that I've seen before include "At some volume" , "it is said" , "Not silently or in a whisper" , "intended for audience" , "In an audible voice" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.