Likely vs Possible

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

Likely

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Possible

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

	Likely	Possible
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈpɒs.ə.bəl// 🇺🇸 //ˈpɑː.sə.bəl//
Meaning	It probably will happen.	Something that can happen or be done.
Example	It is likely that it will rain tomorrow.	It is possible to learn a new language.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A2	A1
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	appear, be, look, extremely, fairly, very	possible outcome, possible solution, possible scenario
Antonyms	unlikely, improbable	impossible, unfeasible
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.	Confused with 'impossible' which means not able to happen., Omitting 'is' when saying 'It is possible'., Using it with a negative without proper context, e.g. saying 'not possible' instead of 'impossible'.
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 'possible' when discussing things that could happen. Avoid it in very formal contexts.

See it in real clips

Agatha Christies Poirot › S1 E1

if that's possible.

- No. - It's not possible?

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Possible kidney or bladder irritation.

Agatha Christies Poirot › S1 E1

if that's possible.

- No. - It's not possible?

Possible

Frequently asked questions: Likely vs Possible

What's the difference between Likely and Possible?

Likely: It probably will happen. Possible: Something that can happen or be done.

Which is more advanced: Likely and Possible?

Likely is the highest level, at A2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Likely and Possible the same CEFR level?

Likely: A2, Possible: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Likely and Possible?

Likely: adjective, Possible: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Likely: It is likely that it will rain tomorrow. Possible: It is possible to learn a new language.

Can I use Likely and Possible interchangeably?

Not always. Likely and Possible 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.