Spelling rules for adverbs and some notes on meaning
Many adverbs (especially of manner and degree) are formed by adding -ly to their corresponding adjectives. Sometimes this requires certain adjustments of the spelling:
1) If the adjective ends in -y then we need to change that y into an i before adding -ly:
- happy + ly = happily
- merry -- merrily
- pretty -- prettily
- crafty -- craftily
- cosy -- cosily
- easy -- easily
- angry -- angrily
2) Normally we retain the final -e in adjectives when adding -ly:
- private + ly = privately
- strange -- strangely
- safe -- safely
- rude -- rudely
- extreme -- extremely
- brave -- bravely
- moderate -- moderately
** There are 3 exceptions: true --- truly, due -- duly, whole -- wholly
3) Adjectives ending in consonant + le (-tle, -ble, -ple) drop the final e and add y only:
- gentle + (l)y = gently (final e dropped, l is omitted to avoid doubling the consonats)
- simple -- simply
- possible -- possibly
- probable -- probably
- terrible -- terribly
- horrible -- horribly
- sensible -- sensibly
- reasonable -- reasonably
Although many adverbs of manner can be formed this way (by adding -ly), it is advisable to verify their existence by looking up the word in reliable dictionaries such as Oxford or Cambridge dictionaries for advanced students.
Differences in meaning
1) You should have in mind that sometimes the adverb can have a narrower or different meaning from its corresponding adjective. For instance, adjectives like cold, cool, warm and hot have a wide range of meanings, some concerned with temperature, others with feelings or taste etc. However, adverbs formed from these adjectives - coldly, coolly, warmly, hotly - have narrower meanings that are mostly related to feelings:
coldly (in an unfriendly way): She replied coldly.
coolly (in an unfriendly way/ calmly): "We're just good friends," she said coolly. or He behaved very coolly in this dangerous situation.
warmly (in a friendly way): The play was warmly received by the critics.
* it can also mean in a warm manner when referring to clothes : They dressed warmly.
hotly (indignantly): "Nonsense!" he said hotly.
On the other hand, the adjective present can mean "existing or happening now" and "being in a particular place" (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary), while the adverb presently can have a completely different meaning "after a short time" or "soon":
He will be here presently. (soon)
Presently, the door opened again and three men stepped out. (after a short time)
2) There are certain adverbs which have two similar forms with a difference in meaning. One of their forms is equal to that of their corresponding adjective, while the other is -ly form. Some of these adverbs are:
- deep/ deeply:
"deep" is used to denote the depth of space/time, while "deeply" is used mostly of feelings
They sat and talked deep into the night. vs. He was deeply offended.
- direct/ directly:
"direct" can mean "not involving other people" or "without stopping or changing direction", while "directly" can refer to time "soon/immediately" and to a kind of connection/relation "in a direct manner"
I prefer to deal with him direct. or We flew direct to Hong Kong. vs.
She left directly after the show. or He is directly responsible to the boss.
- hard/hardly:
"hard" usually means "with great effort", while "hardly" means "almost not/ none"
I have to work hard today. vs. I can hardly wait for my birthday. (= I almost cannot wait..)
- high/ highly:
"high" mainly refers to the height of something (in space, of voice, value), while "highly" means "very", "with admiration" or "at a high standard"
I cannot jump any higher. or I cannot sing that high. vs.
It is highly unlikely that she will be late. or She speaks highly of you. or He has a highly paid job.
- just/ justly:
"just" can mean "exactly", "very recently/ now", "simply", "only","really" etc, while "justly" corresponds to the adjective "just" (=fair, morally right, appropriate)
This jacket is just my size (=exactly). or I've just heard the news. (very recently) vs.
She insisted on being treated justly. or He was justly proud of his success.
- late/ lately:
"late" usually means "near the end of a certain period" or "after the expected or usual time", while "lately" means "in the recent past"
I got up late. or He became an author late in life. vs.
Have you seen her lately? or She had lately returned from India.
- most/ mostly:
"most" means "to a great degree", while "mostly" means "chiefly/ mainly" or "generally"
What did you enjoy most? vs. We're mostly out on Sundays.
- near/ nearly:
"near" usually denotes a short distance in space or time, or it can mean "almost", while "nearly" means "almost, not quite, not completely"
She took a step nearer. or I am as near certain as can be. vs.
The bottle is nearly empty. or It's nearly time to leave.
- pretty/ prettily:
"pretty" means "fairly/ very", while "prettily" corresponds with the adjective pretty (=attractive)
I'm pretty sure I'll be going. vs. The rooms are simply but prettily furnished.
- right/ rightly and wrong/ wrongly:
"right" has various meanings (exactly, completely, immediately,correctly, satisfactorily) while "rightly" is mostly used in the sense "for a good reason", it can be used also with the meaning "correctly" or "justly". Normally we use either "right" meaning correctly or "correctly" in formal language.
He was standing right behind her. (=exactly) or You guessed it right. (correctly) vs.
He was proud of his beautiful house, and rightly so. (for a good reason) or If I remember rightly, there is a train at 6 o'clock. (=correctly) or He was rightly punished. (=justly)
"wrong" usually denotes that something is not correct, "wrongly" means "incorrectly, immorally, unfair".
** Both rightly and wrongly are mostly used before a past participle (e.g. informed, accused).
My name is spelt wrong. vs. She was wrongly accused of stealing.
- short/ shortly
"short" usually denotes a shortage of something, while "shortly" can mean "soon", "briefly" or "curtly"
They had run short of fuel. or All too often you pitch the ball short. (not as far as needed) vs.
She arrived shortly after us. or "Just wait a minute," he said shortly.
It seems that adverbs of the same form as their corresponding adjectives generally have a wider range of meanings than those which were formed by the addition of -ly.
1) If the adjective ends in -y then we need to change that y into an i before adding -ly:
- happy + ly = happily
- merry -- merrily
- pretty -- prettily
- crafty -- craftily
- cosy -- cosily
- easy -- easily
- angry -- angrily
2) Normally we retain the final -e in adjectives when adding -ly:
- private + ly = privately
- strange -- strangely
- safe -- safely
- rude -- rudely
- extreme -- extremely
- brave -- bravely
- moderate -- moderately
** There are 3 exceptions: true --- truly, due -- duly, whole -- wholly
3) Adjectives ending in consonant + le (-tle, -ble, -ple) drop the final e and add y only:
- gentle + (l)y = gently (final e dropped, l is omitted to avoid doubling the consonats)
- simple -- simply
- possible -- possibly
- probable -- probably
- terrible -- terribly
- horrible -- horribly
- sensible -- sensibly
- reasonable -- reasonably
Although many adverbs of manner can be formed this way (by adding -ly), it is advisable to verify their existence by looking up the word in reliable dictionaries such as Oxford or Cambridge dictionaries for advanced students.
Differences in meaning
1) You should have in mind that sometimes the adverb can have a narrower or different meaning from its corresponding adjective. For instance, adjectives like cold, cool, warm and hot have a wide range of meanings, some concerned with temperature, others with feelings or taste etc. However, adverbs formed from these adjectives - coldly, coolly, warmly, hotly - have narrower meanings that are mostly related to feelings:
coldly (in an unfriendly way): She replied coldly.
coolly (in an unfriendly way/ calmly): "We're just good friends," she said coolly. or He behaved very coolly in this dangerous situation.
warmly (in a friendly way): The play was warmly received by the critics.
* it can also mean in a warm manner when referring to clothes : They dressed warmly.
hotly (indignantly): "Nonsense!" he said hotly.
On the other hand, the adjective present can mean "existing or happening now" and "being in a particular place" (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary), while the adverb presently can have a completely different meaning "after a short time" or "soon":
He will be here presently. (soon)
Presently, the door opened again and three men stepped out. (after a short time)
2) There are certain adverbs which have two similar forms with a difference in meaning. One of their forms is equal to that of their corresponding adjective, while the other is -ly form. Some of these adverbs are:
- deep/ deeply:
"deep" is used to denote the depth of space/time, while "deeply" is used mostly of feelings
They sat and talked deep into the night. vs. He was deeply offended.
- direct/ directly:
"direct" can mean "not involving other people" or "without stopping or changing direction", while "directly" can refer to time "soon/immediately" and to a kind of connection/relation "in a direct manner"
I prefer to deal with him direct. or We flew direct to Hong Kong. vs.
She left directly after the show. or He is directly responsible to the boss.
- hard/hardly:
"hard" usually means "with great effort", while "hardly" means "almost not/ none"
I have to work hard today. vs. I can hardly wait for my birthday. (= I almost cannot wait..)
- high/ highly:
"high" mainly refers to the height of something (in space, of voice, value), while "highly" means "very", "with admiration" or "at a high standard"
I cannot jump any higher. or I cannot sing that high. vs.
It is highly unlikely that she will be late. or She speaks highly of you. or He has a highly paid job.
- just/ justly:
"just" can mean "exactly", "very recently/ now", "simply", "only","really" etc, while "justly" corresponds to the adjective "just" (=fair, morally right, appropriate)
This jacket is just my size (=exactly). or I've just heard the news. (very recently) vs.
She insisted on being treated justly. or He was justly proud of his success.
- late/ lately:
"late" usually means "near the end of a certain period" or "after the expected or usual time", while "lately" means "in the recent past"
I got up late. or He became an author late in life. vs.
Have you seen her lately? or She had lately returned from India.
- most/ mostly:
"most" means "to a great degree", while "mostly" means "chiefly/ mainly" or "generally"
What did you enjoy most? vs. We're mostly out on Sundays.
- near/ nearly:
"near" usually denotes a short distance in space or time, or it can mean "almost", while "nearly" means "almost, not quite, not completely"
She took a step nearer. or I am as near certain as can be. vs.
The bottle is nearly empty. or It's nearly time to leave.
- pretty/ prettily:
"pretty" means "fairly/ very", while "prettily" corresponds with the adjective pretty (=attractive)
I'm pretty sure I'll be going. vs. The rooms are simply but prettily furnished.
- right/ rightly and wrong/ wrongly:
"right" has various meanings (exactly, completely, immediately,correctly, satisfactorily) while "rightly" is mostly used in the sense "for a good reason", it can be used also with the meaning "correctly" or "justly". Normally we use either "right" meaning correctly or "correctly" in formal language.
He was standing right behind her. (=exactly) or You guessed it right. (correctly) vs.
He was proud of his beautiful house, and rightly so. (for a good reason) or If I remember rightly, there is a train at 6 o'clock. (=correctly) or He was rightly punished. (=justly)
"wrong" usually denotes that something is not correct, "wrongly" means "incorrectly, immorally, unfair".
** Both rightly and wrongly are mostly used before a past participle (e.g. informed, accused).
My name is spelt wrong. vs. She was wrongly accused of stealing.
- short/ shortly
"short" usually denotes a shortage of something, while "shortly" can mean "soon", "briefly" or "curtly"
They had run short of fuel. or All too often you pitch the ball short. (not as far as needed) vs.
She arrived shortly after us. or "Just wait a minute," he said shortly.
It seems that adverbs of the same form as their corresponding adjectives generally have a wider range of meanings than those which were formed by the addition of -ly.
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