Frankly vs Honestly

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Frankly

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adverb

Honestly

Top 1,000 (very common)

Most common: Honestly

	Frankly	Honestly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈɒnɪstli// 🇺🇸 //ˈɑnɪstli//
Meaning	Honestly or directly.	In a truthful way.
Example	He spoke frankly about the ordeal.	Honestly, I didn't know what to say.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	C1	-
Part of speech	adverb
Collocations	speak frankly, frankly speaking, respond frankly	speak honestly, honestly admit, honestly say
Antonyms	deceptively, insincerely, dishonestly	dishonestly, insincerely
Common mistakes	Used in questions when it should be a statement., Confused with 'frank' as an adjective., Overused in casual settings.	Confused with 'honestly speaking'—don't overuse it., Using it in overly formal contexts can sound odd., Sometimes placed incorrectly in a sentence.
Usage notes	Use 'frankly' when you want to express your honest opinion. It's often used in more serious conversations and might be considered too direct for very formal contexts.	Used to emphasize truthfulness, often at the beginning of a sentence. Suitable in both casual and formal contexts.

See it in real clips

We're tight but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here.

Frankly, I don't see how you can vote for acquittal.

Sherlock › S1 E1

- No. No, he wasn't, really, was he? - Frankly, a bloody awful cabbie.

We're tight but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here.

Frankly, I don't see how you can vote for acquittal.

Frankly

Honestly, Amelia...

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

Honestly, I didn't.

Maybe she honestly thought she saw the boy kill his father. I say she only saw a blur.

Honestly, Amelia...

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

Honestly, I didn't.

Honestly

Frequently asked questions: Frankly vs Honestly

What's the difference between Frankly and Honestly?

Frankly: Honestly or directly. Honestly: In a truthful way.

Which is more common: Frankly and Honestly?

Honestly is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Frankly: He spoke frankly about the ordeal. Honestly: Honestly, I didn't know what to say.

Can I use Frankly and Honestly interchangeably?

Not always. Frankly and Honestly 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.