{"id":8021,"date":"2024-11-01T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=8021"},"modified":"2024-10-17T04:32:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T04:32:01","slug":"how-to-use-literally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use \"Literally\" Accurately!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#What_does_%E2%80%9Cliterally%E2%80%9D_mean\" >What does &#8220;literally&#8221; mean?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Whats_the_correct_way_to_use_it\" >What\u2019s the correct way to use it?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Alternatives_for_%E2%80%9Cliterally%E2%80%9D\" >Alternatives for &#8220;literally&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Basically\" >Basically<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Practically\" >Practically<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Actually\" >Actually<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/#Wrap-up\" >Wrap-up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>It\u2019s very common to hear English speakers use \u201cliterally,\u201d often when telling an interesting or funny <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/telling-stories-in-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">story<\/a>. However, it\u2019s also very common for them to use it incorrectly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_%E2%80%9Cliterally%E2%80%9D_mean\"><\/span>What does &#8220;literally&#8221; mean?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a backpack walking in wide field with trees in the distance\" class=\"wp-image-8025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062620\/literally_pexels-clem-onojeghuo-2110471-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLiterally\u201d means \"exactly according to the words.\" So any time you use it, the words you choose should accurately match what you are talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, many people use this word for emphasis in <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-best-blog-post-ever-how-to-use-hyperbole\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hyperbolic<\/a>, or exaggerated, statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>literally<\/strong> walked 100 miles today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you truly walked 100 miles, this would be incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>literally<\/strong> died laughing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can say this, you didn\u2019t die!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_correct_way_to_use_it\"><\/span><strong>What\u2019s the correct way to use it?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Literally\" can still be used for emphasis, but you need to be careful. Take a look at the following examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We were <strong>literally<\/strong> the last people to arrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I <strong>literally<\/strong> got on the airplane just before the doors closed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We were <strong>literally<\/strong> the only people there wearing formal clothes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these are surprising or unusual situations, but they can really \u2014 or <em>literally<\/em> \u2014 happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives_for_%E2%80%9Cliterally%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><strong>Alternatives for &#8220;literally&#8221;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a small suitcase running through an airport\" class=\"wp-image-8026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062720\/literally_andy-beales-BjcGdM-mjL0-unsplash1-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Basically\"><\/span><strong>Basically<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In some contexts, \"basically\" means \u201calmost\u201d or \u201cclose to completely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We were <strong>basically<\/strong> the last people to arrive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This time, even if they weren\u2019t the very last, this is still accurate if they were <em>among<\/em> the last people to arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>basically<\/strong> got on the airplane just before the doors closed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practically\"><\/span><strong>Practically<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062803\/literally_lama-roscu-Wpg3Qm0zaGk-unsplash1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Various flavors of ice cream on display in a shop\" class=\"wp-image-8027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062803\/literally_lama-roscu-Wpg3Qm0zaGk-unsplash1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062803\/literally_lama-roscu-Wpg3Qm0zaGk-unsplash1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/02\/09062803\/literally_lama-roscu-Wpg3Qm0zaGk-unsplash1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Practically\" is often used just like \u201cbasically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We were <strong>practically<\/strong> the only people there wearing formal clothing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, there may be other people also in formal clothes, but only very few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>practically<\/strong> died laughing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The speaker obviously didn\u2019t die, but this still emphasizes how much they were laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I\u2019ve tried <strong>practically<\/strong> every ice cream flavor in this shop. I recommend Cookies n\u2019 Cream!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The speaker may not have tried every flavor, but they've tried most of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Actually\"><\/span><strong>Actually<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cActually\u201d can be switched with \"literally\" without changing the meaning. However, used in this way, people put extra stress on the word to add emphasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We were <em><strong>actually<\/strong><\/em> the last people to arrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seriously, I <em><strong>actually<\/strong><\/em> walked 50 miles today. I need to rest!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrap-up\"><\/span><strong>Wrap-up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because fluent English speakers often make mistakes with \"literally\" doesn't mean you need to as well. Use it \u2014 or \"actually\" \u2014 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!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s very common to hear English speakers use \u201cliterally,\u201d often when telling an interesting or funny story. However, it\u2019s also very common for them to use it incorrectly! This time, we'll take a close look...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":432,"featured_media":8024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[71,57,58],"class_list":["post-8021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-tips","tag-advanced-english","tag-how-to-use","tag-other-ways-to-say"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Use &quot;Literally&quot; Accurately! | Engoo Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"People use &quot;literally&quot; incorrectly all of the time. Yes, even native English speakers! So what is the right way to use it?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-use-literally\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use &quot;Literally&quot; Accurately! | Engoo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"People use &quot;literally&quot; incorrectly all of the time. Yes, even native English speakers! 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