How to Use "Literally" Accurately!
It’s very common to hear English speakers use “literally,” often when telling an interesting or funny story. However, it’s also very common for them to use it incorrectly!
This time, we'll take a close look at this misused word to learn what it means, how to use it, and to discover some alternatives that are often better to use.
What does “literally” mean?
“Literally” means "exactly according to the words." So any time you use it, the words you choose should accurately match what you are talking about.
However, many people use this word for emphasis in hyperbolic, or exaggerated, statements.
- I literally walked 100 miles today.
Unless you truly walked 100 miles, this would be incorrect.
- I literally died laughing.
If you can say this, you didn’t die!
What’s the correct way to use it?
"Literally" can still be used for emphasis, but you need to be careful. Take a look at the following examples:
- We were literally the last people to arrive.
- I literally got on the airplane just before the doors closed.
- We were literally the only people there wearing formal clothes.
All of these are surprising or unusual situations, but they can really — or literally — happen.
Alternatives for “literally”
Because "literally" should only be used when something is real, it's best to use alternatives if you simply want to emphasize what you say.
Basically
In some contexts, "basically" means “almost” or “close to completely.”
- We were basically the last people to arrive.
This time, even if they weren’t the very last, this is still accurate if they were among the last people to arrive.
- I basically got on the airplane just before the doors closed.
This effectively emphasizes how close the speaker came to missing the plane, but it avoids the problem of using "literally" incorrectly, which may or may not be true.
Practically
"Practically" is often used just like “basically.”
- We were practically the only people there wearing formal clothing.
Here, there may be other people also in formal clothes, but only very few.
- I practically died laughing.
The speaker obviously didn’t die, but this still emphasizes how much they were laughing.
- I’ve tried practically every ice cream flavor in this shop. I recommend Cookies n’ Cream!
The speaker may not have tried every flavor, but they've tried most of them.
Actually
“Actually” can be switched with "literally" without changing the meaning. However, used in this way, people put extra stress on the word to add emphasis.
- We were actually the last people to arrive.
- Seriously, I actually walked 50 miles today. I need to rest!
Wrap-up
Just because fluent English speakers often make mistakes with "literally" doesn't mean you need to as well. Use it — or "actually" — when something is exactly as you say. And for other situations, "practically" and "basically" are great for adding a little emphasis to your conversations. Now you know!
