Cool MateFrankly vs Honestly vs To be honest vs To tell you the truth
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Frankly
Honestly
To be honest
To tell you the truth
| Frankly | Honestly | To be honest | To tell you the truth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈɒnɪstli//🇺🇸 //ˈɑnɪstli// | 🇬🇧 //tə biː ˈɒnɪst//🇺🇸 //tə bi ˈhɑnəst// | 🇬🇧 //tə tɛl jʊ ðə truːθ//🇺🇸 //tə tɛl jʊ ðə truθ// |
| Meaning | Honestly or directly. | In a truthful way. | Saying the truth or what you really think. | Honestly, I'm being truthful with you. |
| Example | He spoke frankly about the ordeal. | Honestly, I didn't know what to say. | To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy the movie. | To tell you the truth, I wasn't very excited about the party. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | C1 | - | - | - |
| Part of speech | adverb | |||
| Collocations | speak frankly, frankly speaking, respond frankly | speak honestly, honestly admit, honestly say | to be honest with you, to be honest, I think, to be honest about | to tell you the whole truth, to tell you the absolute truth, to tell the truth |
| Antonyms | deceptively, insincerely, dishonestly | dishonestly, insincerely | - | to lie, to deceive |
| 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. | Using it too frequently can sound disingenuous., Confusing it with more formal phrases like 'frankly speaking'. | Omitting 'the' ('to tell you truth'), Using in formal contexts too often, Overusing in casual conversations |
| 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. | Use 'to be honest' to express your true feelings. It's informal and often used in conversations, but avoid in formal settings. | Used when introducing a frank opinion or confession. Best in conversations where honesty is valued; avoid in formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Frankly vs Honestly vs To be honest vs To tell you the truth
What's the difference between Frankly, Honestly, To be honest, and To tell you the truth?
Frankly: Honestly or directly. Honestly: In a truthful way. To be honest: Saying the truth or what you really think. To tell you the truth: Honestly, I'm being truthful with you.
Which is more common: Frankly, Honestly, To be honest, and To tell you the truth?
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. To be honest: To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy the movie. To tell you the truth: To tell you the truth, I wasn't very excited about the party.
Can I use Frankly, Honestly, To be honest, and To tell you the truth interchangeably?
Not always. Frankly, Honestly, To be honest, and To tell you the truth 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.