Cool MateAround about vs Roughly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Around about
Top 2,000 (common)
Roughly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
| Around about | Roughly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //əˈraʊnd əˈbaʊt//🇺🇸 //əˈraʊnd əˈbaʊt// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈrʌfli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈrʌfli/"]/ |
| Meaning | Approximately or roughly. | Approximately, not exactly |
| Example | The meeting will start at around about 3 PM. | Sales are up by roughly 10 per cent. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | |
| Collocations | around about five, around about a week, around about the same time | roughly speaking, roughly estimated, roughly the same, roughly translates |
| Antonyms | exactly, precisely | exactly, precisely |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'around' or 'about' alone., Used in overly formal contexts., 'Around about' not followed by a number for estimates. | Used in place of 'exactly' or 'precisely'., Incorrectly placed at the end of the sentence., Confused with 'rough' as an adjective. |
| Usage notes | Used in informal contexts to indicate an estimate of time or distance. Avoid in formal writing. | Use 'roughly' when you want to give an estimate or approximation. It’s neutral and suitable for most contexts, but avoid in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Around about vs Roughly
What's the difference between Around about and Roughly?
Around about: Approximately or roughly. Roughly: Approximately, not exactly
Can you show an example of each?
Around about: The meeting will start at around about 3 PM. Roughly: Sales are up by roughly 10 per cent.
Can I use Around about and Roughly interchangeably?
Not always. Around about and Roughly 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.