Commonly vs Regularly

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

Commonly

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Regularly

Top 1,000 (very common) B1 adverb

Most common: Regularly

	Commonly	Regularly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈkɒmənli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈkɑːmənli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈreɡjələli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈreɡjələrli/"]/
Meaning	happening often; usual	happening often or at the same time each week or month
Example	Commonly, people mistake these two similar terms for one another.	She works out regularly to maintain her fitness.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	B2	B1
Part of speech	adverb	adverb
Collocations	commonly used, commonly accepted, commonly known	exercise regularly, meet regularly, check emails regularly
Antonyms	rarely, seldom	irregularly, occasionally
Common mistakes	Using 'common' instead of 'commonly', Confusing 'commonly' with 'common', forgetting it's an adverb, Incorrectly placing 'commonly' in sentences	Using 'regular' instead of 'regularly' incorrectly in sentences., Confusing with 'regularity', which refers to the quality of being regular., Forgetting to place it appropriately in the sentence.
Usage notes	Use 'commonly' in everyday situations to describe things that are frequent or typical. It's more formal than using 'often', so avoid it in very casual conversations.	Use 'regularly' to describe activities that happen frequently, like exercise or meetings. It's suitable for writing and conversation but not usually used in very casual slang. Avoid using 'regularly' in contexts of irregular or one-time events.

See it in real clips

Sherlock › S1 E1

The rest of herjewellery has been regularly cleaned,

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

So you work with him regularly.

Chernobyl › S1 E1

The dosimetrists should be checking regularly.

Sherlock › S1 E1

The rest of herjewellery has been regularly cleaned,

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

So you work with him regularly.

Regularly

Frequently asked questions: Commonly vs Regularly

What's the difference between Commonly and Regularly?

Commonly: happening often; usual Regularly: happening often or at the same time each week or month

Which is more common: Commonly and Regularly?

Regularly is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Commonly and Regularly?

Commonly is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Commonly and Regularly the same CEFR level?

Commonly: B2, Regularly: B1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Commonly and Regularly?

Commonly: adverb, Regularly: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Commonly: Commonly, people mistake these two similar terms for one another. Regularly: She works out regularly to maintain her fitness.

Can I use Commonly and Regularly interchangeably?

Not always. Commonly and Regularly 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.