Likely vs Perhaps

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

Likely

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Perhaps

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adverb

	Likely	Perhaps
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/pəˈhæps//præps/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/pərˈhæps/"]/
Meaning	It probably will happen.	maybe; it might be true
Example	It is likely that it will rain tomorrow.	‘Are you going to come?’ ‘Perhaps. I'll see how I feel.’
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A2	A2
Part of speech	adjective	adverb
Collocations	appear, be, look, extremely, fairly, very	perhaps we should, perhaps it is, perhaps he thought
Antonyms	unlikely, improbable	definitely, certainly
Common mistakes	'Likely' vs 'likelihood': Confused the adjective with the noun., 'Likely' placement: Wrongly placed before the verb instead of before 'to'., 'Unlikely' usage: Misusing 'unlikely' in positive contexts.	'Perhaps' can't be used as a noun., Confused with 'perchance', which is more archaic., Using 'perhaps' in very direct or commanding statements.
Usage notes	Use 'likely' to express probability in neutral contexts. Avoid in very formal writing; use 'probable' instead. For informal contexts, 'likely' is suitable.	Use 'perhaps' in formal writing or speech. It's less common in casual conversations, where 'maybe' is preferred. Avoid using it when being certain.

See it in real clips

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

- Perhaps he's only stupid... - [actor whooshing]

Breaking Bad › S1 E6

Well, yes, but maybe with a little more salesmanship, perhaps?

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Perhaps "losing" is too nice a word.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

- Perhaps he's only stupid... - [actor whooshing]

Breaking Bad › S1 E6

Well, yes, but maybe with a little more salesmanship, perhaps?

Perhaps

Frequently asked questions: Likely vs Perhaps

What's the difference between Likely and Perhaps?

Likely: It probably will happen. Perhaps: maybe; it might be true

Are Likely and Perhaps the same CEFR level?

Likely: A2, Perhaps: A2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Likely and Perhaps?

Likely: adjective, Perhaps: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Likely: It is likely that it will rain tomorrow. Perhaps: ‘Are you going to come?’ ‘Perhaps. I'll see how I feel.’

Can I use Likely and Perhaps interchangeably?

Not always. Likely and Perhaps 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.