Cool MateFairly vs Reasonably
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Fairly
Top 2,000 (common)B1adverb
Reasonably
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| Fairly | Reasonably | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈfeəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈferli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈriːznəbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈriːznəbli/"]/ |
| Meaning | To a moderate degree; not too much. | In a fair or sensible way. |
| Example | The test was fairly easy, so I think I did well. | The instructions are reasonably straightforward. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | fairly easy, fairly common, fairly good, fairly large, fairly accurate | reasonably priced, reasonably good, reasonably sure |
| Antonyms | unfairly | unreasonably, irrationally |
| Common mistakes | Using 'fairly' inappropriately with intense adjectives like 'awesome' or 'terrible'., Swapping 'fairly' with 'very' (they are not synonyms)., Misplacing 'fairly' in the sentence structure. | Using 'reasonably' instead of 'reason' as a noun., Confusing 'reasonably' with 'reasonable' which is an adjective., Placing 'reasonably' incorrectly in a sentence, leading to awkward phrasing. |
| Usage notes | Use 'fairly' to describe something that is somewhat true or has a moderate level. It is usually appropriate in both spoken and written English but may be less formal in certain contexts. | Use 'reasonably' to indicate that something is acceptable or moderate. It’s appropriate in both spoken and written contexts but might sound overly formal in very casual conversations. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Fairly vs Reasonably
What's the difference between Fairly and Reasonably?
Fairly: To a moderate degree; not too much. Reasonably: In a fair or sensible way.
Are Fairly and Reasonably the same CEFR level?
Fairly: B1, Reasonably: B2 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Fairly and Reasonably interchangeably?
Not always. Fairly and Reasonably 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.