Cool MateIncredibly vs Very
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Incredibly
Top 2,000 (common)B1adverb
Very
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adverb
Most common: Very
| Incredibly | Very | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈveri/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈveri/"]/ |
| Meaning | very much or extremely | used to emphasize something |
| Example | It was all **incredibly difficult**. | This cake is very delicious! |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | incredibly fast, incredibly difficult, incredibly beautiful, incredibly talented, incredibly lucky | very good, very bad, very happy, very important, very fast |
| Antonyms | barely, slightly | not, slightly, somewhat |
| Common mistakes | 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. | Using 'very' with negative adjectives like 'bad' too much., Confusing with 'really' in casual conversation., Overusing 'very' can make writing less impactful. |
| Usage notes | Use 'incredibly' to emphasize something is true to a high degree. Appropriate in both spoken and written English, but avoid in overly casual contexts. | Used to increase the intensity of adjectives or adverbs. Best for neutral situations; avoid in formal writing where 'extremely' may be preferred. |
Frequently asked questions: Incredibly vs Very
What's the difference between Incredibly and Very?
Incredibly: very much or extremely Very: used to emphasize something
Which is more common: Incredibly and Very?
Very is the most common in everyday English.
Are Incredibly and Very the same CEFR level?
Incredibly: B1, Very: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Incredibly and Very interchangeably?
Not always. Incredibly and Very 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.