Cool MateBelieve it or not vs Incredibly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Believe it or not
Top 2,000 (common)
Incredibly
Top 2,000 (common)B1adverb
| Believe it or not | Incredibly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //bɪˈliːv ɪt ɔː nɒt//🇺🇸 //bɪˈliv ɪt ɔr nɑt// | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/ |
| Meaning | The phrase used when something surprising is true. | very much or extremely |
| Example | He actually learned to juggle in a week, believe it or not. | It was all **incredibly difficult**. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | |
| Collocations | believe it or not, believe me, believe in | incredibly fast, incredibly difficult, incredibly beautiful, incredibly talented, incredibly lucky |
| Antonyms | disbelieve it, doubt it, ignore it, reject it | barely, slightly |
| Common mistakes | Used in formal contexts where a more straightforward statement is appropriate., Confused with 'believe that' which is more direct. | Confused with 'incredible' which is an adjective., Using 'incredibly' in a context where 'very' would be sufficient., Incorrectly placing 'incredibly' before nouns, where it should modify verbs or adjectives. |
| Usage notes | Use this phrase to introduce surprising information. It's informal and can be used in casual conversations or storytelling. | Use 'incredibly' to emphasize something is true to a high degree. Appropriate in both spoken and written English, but avoid in overly casual contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Believe it or not vs Incredibly
What's the difference between Believe it or not and Incredibly?
Believe it or not: The phrase used when something surprising is true. Incredibly: very much or extremely
Can you show an example of each?
Believe it or not: He actually learned to juggle in a week, believe it or not. Incredibly: It was all **incredibly difficult**.
Can I use Believe it or not and Incredibly interchangeably?
Not always. Believe it or not and Incredibly are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.