Nearly vs Roughly

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

Nearly

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adverb

Roughly

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Most common: Nearly

	Nearly	Roughly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈnɪəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈnɪrli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈrʌfli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈrʌfli/"]/
Meaning	almost or very close to something	Approximately, not exactly
Example	She runs nearly every day to stay fit.	Sales are up by roughly 10 per cent.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A2	B2
Part of speech	adverb	adverb
Collocations	nearly correct, nearly finished, nearly perfect, nearly half, nearly impossible	roughly speaking, roughly estimated, roughly the same, roughly translates
Antonyms	completely, not at all	exactly, precisely
Common mistakes	'Nearly' used incorrectly with negative forms (e.g. 'not nearly enough')., Confusing 'nearly' with 'hardly' (the latter implies less than expected)., Using 'nearly' with uncountable nouns when it's not appropriate.	Used in place of 'exactly' or 'precisely'., Incorrectly placed at the end of the sentence., Confused with 'rough' as an adjective.
Usage notes	Use 'nearly' to indicate something is close to happening or to a specific amount, suitable in both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it in formal academic writing where more precise language is preferred.	Use 'roughly' when you want to give an estimate or approximation. It’s neutral and suitable for most contexts, but avoid in very formal writing.

See it in real clips

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

It was loaded. Nearly blew Ada's tits off.

I swear, I... I nearly bawled.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. › S1 E1

Nearly everything.

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

It was loaded. Nearly blew Ada's tits off.

I swear, I... I nearly bawled.

Nearly

Frequently asked questions: Nearly vs Roughly

What's the difference between Nearly and Roughly?

Nearly: almost or very close to something Roughly: Approximately, not exactly

Which is more common: Nearly and Roughly?

Nearly is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Nearly and Roughly?

Roughly is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Nearly and Roughly the same CEFR level?

Nearly: A2, Roughly: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Nearly and Roughly?

Nearly: adverb, Roughly: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Nearly: She runs nearly every day to stay fit. Roughly: Sales are up by roughly 10 per cent.

Can I use Nearly and Roughly interchangeably?

Not always. Nearly and Roughly 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.