Beautiful vs Pretty

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

Beautiful

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Pretty

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adverb

	Beautiful	Pretty
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈbjuːtɪfl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈbjuːtɪfl/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈprɪti/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈprɪti/"]/
Meaning	Very pretty or lovely.	Attractive or nice to look at.
Example	The sunset was so beautiful that it took my breath away.	She sings pretty well, especially for someone so young.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	A1
Part of speech	adjective	adverb
Collocations	be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very	pretty good, pretty face, pretty flowers, pretty view, pretty soon
Antonyms	ugly, plain, unattractive	ugly, unattractive, plain
Common mistakes	Using 'beautifull' instead of 'beautiful'., Confusing 'beautiful' with 'beauty' as a noun., Overusing it in descriptions instead of varying vocabulary.	'Pretty' used in overly formal writing., Confused with 'cute' vs 'pretty' - 'cute' usually implies charm or endearment., 'Pretty' used incorrectly to describe a serious issue (e.g. 'It's pretty serious').
Usage notes	Used to describe people, places, or things that are pleasing to the eye. Avoid using in overly formal texts; instead use synonyms like 'attractive' in such contexts.	Use 'pretty' to describe people, places, or things that are visually appealing. Avoid using it in very formal contexts; instead, opt for 'beautiful' or 'attractive'.

See it in real clips

Chernobyl › S1 E1

Well, it is beautiful.

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

Great to see you. You look beautiful, as always.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

But I always try and mask my pain in front of beautiful women

Chernobyl › S1 E1

Well, it is beautiful.

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

Great to see you. You look beautiful, as always.

Beautiful

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Or they can be pretty darn awful.

I think that's a pretty good guess. Anyone else?

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

- You sure? - Pretty sure.

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Or they can be pretty darn awful.

I think that's a pretty good guess. Anyone else?

Pretty

Frequently asked questions: Beautiful vs Pretty

What's the difference between Beautiful and Pretty?

Beautiful: Very pretty or lovely. Pretty: Attractive or nice to look at.

Are Beautiful and Pretty the same CEFR level?

Beautiful: A1, Pretty: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Beautiful and Pretty?

Beautiful: adjective, Pretty: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Beautiful: The sunset was so beautiful that it took my breath away. Pretty: She sings pretty well, especially for someone so young.

Can I use Beautiful and Pretty interchangeably?

Not always. Beautiful and Pretty 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.