Alix Earle is apologizing and owning up to using deeply offensive racial slurs a decade ago ... saying she didn’t grasp how hurtful they were at the time.

The TikTok star said she didn't mean to cause any hurt with comments in an IG Story statement Monday ... stressing those remarks don’t reflect her views or what she stands for.

Screenshots of Alix repeatedly using the N-word (without the hard-R) on Ask.fm from 2014 ... when she was 13 and going by the username Alixxxxxx ... showed up on Reddit earlier this month -- and fans have been wondering why she didn't address the controversy STAT.

Earle -- who dates Miami Dolphins receiver Braxton Berrios -- cleared it up in her statement ... saying she didn’t speak about it sooner because of advice from others, which she now regrets taking.

She said by not speaking up sooner, others filled the gap with false rumors -- but even with all the stuff being said online, Alix makes it clear she's now tackling the facts head-on, and is deeply sorry.