Cool MateLikely vs Presumably
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Likely
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
Presumably
Top 5,000 (fairly common)C1adverb
Most common: Likely
| Likely | Presumably | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈlaɪkli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/prɪˈzjuːməbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/prɪˈzuːməbli/"]/ |
| Meaning | It probably will happen. | It is likely or expected that something is true. |
| Example | It is likely that it will rain tomorrow. | Presumably this is where the accident happened. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | C1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | adverb |
| Collocations | appear, be, look, extremely, fairly, very | presumably true, presumably based, presumably understood |
| Antonyms | unlikely, improbable | doubtfully, questionably |
| 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. | Used in informal situations where a casual word would be better., Confused with 'presume', which has a different grammatical structure., Overused in statements where certainty is needed. |
| 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 'presumably' when you think something is true but don't have definite proof. It’s more formal than using 'probably' and is often used in writing or serious conversations. |
Frequently asked questions: Likely vs Presumably
What's the difference between Likely and Presumably?
Likely: It probably will happen. Presumably: It is likely or expected that something is true.
Which is more common: Likely and Presumably?
Likely is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Likely and Presumably?
Presumably is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Are Likely and Presumably the same CEFR level?
Likely: A2, Presumably: C1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Likely and Presumably?
Likely: adjective, Presumably: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Likely: It is likely that it will rain tomorrow. Presumably: Presumably this is where the accident happened.
Can I use Likely and Presumably interchangeably?
Not always. Likely and Presumably 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.