Frankly vs To tell you the truth

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

Frankly

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adverb

To tell you the truth

Top 2,000 (common)

	Frankly	To tell you the truth
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfræŋkli/"]/	🇬🇧 //tə tɛl jʊ ðə truːθ// 🇺🇸 //tə tɛl jʊ ðə truθ//
Meaning	Honestly or directly.	Honestly, I'm being truthful with you.
Example	He spoke frankly about the ordeal.	To tell you the truth, I wasn't very excited about the party.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	C1	-
Part of speech	adverb
Collocations	speak frankly, frankly speaking, respond frankly	to tell you the whole truth, to tell you the absolute truth, to tell the truth
Antonyms	deceptively, insincerely, dishonestly	to lie, to deceive
Common mistakes	Used in questions when it should be a statement., Confused with 'frank' as an adjective., Overused in casual settings.	Omitting 'the' ('to tell you truth'), Using in formal contexts too often, Overusing in casual conversations
Usage notes	Use 'frankly' when you want to express your honest opinion. It's often used in more serious conversations and might be considered too direct for very formal contexts.	Used when introducing a frank opinion or confession. Best in conversations where honesty is valued; avoid in formal writing.

See it in real clips

We're tight but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here.

Frankly, I don't see how you can vote for acquittal.

Sherlock › S1 E1

- No. No, he wasn't, really, was he? - Frankly, a bloody awful cabbie.

We're tight but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here.

Frankly, I don't see how you can vote for acquittal.

Frankly

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

To tell you the truth, Bilbo's been a bit odd lately.

The Queen Gambit › S1 E1

To tell you the truth of it, child…

The Sopranos › S1 E1

To tell you the truth,

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

To tell you the truth, Bilbo's been a bit odd lately.

The Queen Gambit › S1 E1

To tell you the truth of it, child…

To tell you the truth

Frequently asked questions: Frankly vs To tell you the truth

What's the difference between Frankly and To tell you the truth?

Frankly: Honestly or directly. To tell you the truth: Honestly, I'm being truthful with you.

Can you show an example of each?

Frankly: He spoke frankly about the ordeal. To tell you the truth: To tell you the truth, I wasn't very excited about the party.

Can I use Frankly and To tell you the truth interchangeably?

Not always. Frankly and To tell you the truth 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.