Cool MateBut most of all vs Primarily
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
But most of all
Top 2,000 (common)
Primarily
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| But most of all | Primarily | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //bʌt məʊst əv ɔːl//🇺🇸 //bʌt moʊst əv ɔl// | 🇬🇧 /["/praɪˈmerəli//ˈpraɪmərəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/praɪˈmerəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | Used to emphasize something very important. | mainly; for the most part |
| Example | I love traveling, but most of all, I enjoy meeting new people. | a course designed primarily for specialists |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | |
| Collocations | but most of all, I think, but most of all, it's clear, but most of all, we should | primarily concerned, primarily focused, primarily used, primarily for, primarily about |
| Antonyms | - | secondarily, incidentally, subordinately |
| Common mistakes | Using it as a complete sentence without context., Confusing with 'but above all', which has a similar but slightly different emphasis. | Confused with 'principally' which has a similar meaning but different usage., Using it in a negative context incorrectly, such as saying 'not primarily' when 'not mainly' is clearer., Incorrectly placing 'primarily' at the end of a sentence. |
| Usage notes | Typically used in conversations or informal writing to highlight a key point. Avoid in very formal contexts. | Use 'primarily' when you want to focus on the main reason or purpose; it's suitable in both spoken and written English but is more common in formal contexts than casual conversation. |
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Frequently asked questions: But most of all vs Primarily
What's the difference between But most of all and Primarily?
But most of all: Used to emphasize something very important. Primarily: mainly; for the most part
Can you show an example of each?
But most of all: I love traveling, but most of all, I enjoy meeting new people. Primarily: a course designed primarily for specialists
Can I use But most of all and Primarily interchangeably?
Not always. But most of all and Primarily 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.