certainly
/ˈsɝtənli/
adverb
Core
1.adv.definitely or positively (`sure' is sometimes used informally for `surely')
“the results are surely encouraging”
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certainly and certainty differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. certainly means “definitely or positively (`sure' is sometimes used informally for `surely')”. certainty means “the state of being certain”. certainly is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈsɝtənli/
1.adv.definitely or positively (`sure' is sometimes used informally for `surely')
“the results are surely encouraging”
/ˈsɝtənti/
1.n.the state of being certain
“his certainty reassured the others”
2.n.something that is certain
“his victory is a certainty”
| certainly | certainty | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɝtənli/ | /ˈsɝtənti/ |
| Said | SUR-tuhn-lee | SUR-tuhn-tee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Letters | 9 | 9 |
| Parts of speech | adverb | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | surely, sure, for sure | none recorded |
Full entry for certainly · Full entry for certainty · More comparisons