Cool MateFully vs Totally
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Fully
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Totally
Top 2,000 (common)B1adverb
| Fully | Totally | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈtəʊtəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈtəʊtəli/"]/ |
| Meaning | completely or totally | Completely or very much. |
| Example | I **fully understand** your motives. | I totally agree with your opinion on the matter. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | B1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | fully aware, fully prepared, fully understand, fully loaded, fully engage | totally agree, totally awesome, totally different, totally in love |
| Antonyms | partially, incompletely, slightly | partially, somewhat |
| Common mistakes | Using 'fully' in place of 'very' which is not always correct., Confusing 'fully' with 'fill' in terms of spelling., 'Fully' is sometimes misused in contexts where 'entirely' or 'completely' fit better. | 'Totally' is sometimes confused with 'complete.', Learners may use 'totally' in formal situations when it sounds too casual., Sometimes misused to modify nouns directly. |
| Usage notes | Use 'fully' to emphasize that something is done to the highest degree. Avoid using it in very casual speech where simpler words like 'really' may be preferred. | Use 'totally' to emphasize an absolute degree of something. It's neutral but can sound informal in some contexts. Avoid in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Fully vs Totally
What's the difference between Fully and Totally?
Fully: completely or totally Totally: Completely or very much.
Which is more advanced: Fully and Totally?
Fully is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Are Fully and Totally the same CEFR level?
Fully: B2, Totally: B1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Fully and Totally?
Fully: adverb, Totally: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Fully: I **fully understand** your motives. Totally: I totally agree with your opinion on the matter.
Can I use Fully and Totally interchangeably?
Not always. Fully and Totally 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.