Finally vs We come to it at last

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

Finally

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adverb

We come to it at last

Beyond 10,000 (less common)

Most common: Finally

	Finally	We come to it at last
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfaɪnəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfaɪnəli/"]/	🇬🇧 //wiː kʌm tuː ɪt æt lɑːst// 🇺🇸 //wi kʌm tu ɪt æt læst//
Meaning	At last; after a long wait.	Finally, we reach this moment or point.
Example	After hours of waiting, she finally arrived at the party.	After years of hard work, we come to it at last, the day of the big event.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR level	A2	-
Part of speech	adverb
Collocations	finally arriving, finally finished, finally ready, finally resolved, finally discovered	come to a conclusion, come to an agreement, come to our senses, come to a decision
Antonyms	initially, first	-
Common mistakes	'Finally' is sometimes confused with 'eventually', but 'finally' implies completion., Learners often use 'finally' too early; it should come after the delay or wait is described., Placing 'finally' at the beginning of a sentence can sound awkward in informal contexts.	Using it in a context where the arrival is not significant., Overusing it in a casual conversation., Confusing it with phrases like 'we've reached the end'.
Usage notes	Use 'finally' to indicate that something has happened after a delay or difficulty. It's appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but avoid it in very formal writing.	This phrase is often used to signify an arrival at an important point or conclusion. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though it may be more common in storytelling or speeches.

See it in real clips

Agent Carter › S1 E1

That bouncer from the broom closet finally came to.

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

It is so good to finally meet you both face-to-face.

Friends › S1 E1

- He finally asked you out? - Yes.

Agent Carter › S1 E1

That bouncer from the broom closet finally came to.

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

It is so good to finally meet you both face-to-face.

Finally

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

We come to it at last.

We come to it at last

Frequently asked questions: Finally vs We come to it at last

What's the difference between Finally and We come to it at last?

Finally: At last; after a long wait. We come to it at last: Finally, we reach this moment or point.

Which is more common: Finally and We come to it at last?

Finally is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Finally: After hours of waiting, she finally arrived at the party. We come to it at last: After years of hard work, we come to it at last, the day of the big event.

Can I use Finally and We come to it at last interchangeably?

Not always. Finally and We come to it at last 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.