Cool MateTotally vs Wholly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Totally
Top 2,000 (common)B1adverb
Wholly
FormalBeyond 10,000 (less common)C1adverb
Most formal: WhollyMost common: Totally
| Totally | Wholly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈtəʊtəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈtəʊtəli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈhəʊlli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈhəʊlli/"]/ |
| Meaning | Completely or very much. | Completely or entirely. |
| Example | I totally agree with your opinion on the matter. | wholly inappropriate behaviour |
| Register | Neutral | Formal |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | C1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | totally agree, totally awesome, totally different, totally in love | wholly owned, wholly different, wholly inadequate |
| Antonyms | partially, somewhat | partially, incompletely, halfway |
| Common mistakes | 'Totally' is sometimes confused with 'complete.', Learners may use 'totally' in formal situations when it sounds too casual., Sometimes misused to modify nouns directly. | Confused with 'holy' or 'holey'., Omitting the word when it's necessary for emphasis., Misusing it in informal contexts where simpler words would work better. |
| Usage notes | Use 'totally' to emphasize an absolute degree of something. It's neutral but can sound informal in some contexts. Avoid in very formal writing. | Often used in formal writing or speech. It is appropriate when emphasizing totality, but less commonly used in everyday conversation. |
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Frequently asked questions: Totally vs Wholly
What's the difference between Totally and Wholly?
Totally: Completely or very much. Wholly: Completely or entirely.
Which is more formal: Totally and Wholly?
Wholly is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Totally and Wholly?
Totally is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Totally and Wholly?
Wholly is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Are Totally and Wholly the same CEFR level?
Totally: B1, Wholly: C1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Totally and Wholly?
Totally: adverb, Wholly: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Totally: I totally agree with your opinion on the matter. Wholly: wholly inappropriate behaviour
Can I use Totally and Wholly interchangeably?
Not always. Totally and Wholly 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.