Cool MateVery nice vs Wonderful
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Very nice
Top 2,000 (common)
Wonderful
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adjective
Most common: Wonderful
| Very nice | Wonderful | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈvɛri naɪs//🇺🇸 //ˈvɛri naɪs// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈwʌndəfl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈwʌndərfl/"]/ |
| Meaning | Really good or pleasant. | Very good or great; something that makes you feel happy. |
| Example | The sunset was very nice last evening. | The view from the top of the mountain was wonderful. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | very nice weather, very nice gesture, very nice dinner, very nice view, very nice gift | be, feel, look, most, really, absolutely, strange and wonderful, weird and wonderful |
| Antonyms | - | terrible, awful, bad |
| Common mistakes | Omitting 'very' makes it less emphatic., Using 'too' instead of 'very' changes the meaning., Confusing with 'nice' alone, which may not express strong approval. | Using 'wonderful' too often; it can sound repetitive., Mixing up with 'wonderfull' which is incorrect., Confusing 'wonderful' with 'wonder' which has a different meaning. |
| Usage notes | Used to express approval or satisfaction. Commonly fits in both casual and formal contexts, but overuse in formal writing may sound too informal. | Use 'wonderful' to describe experiences, events, or things that bring joy. It’s appropriate in both spoken and written English but avoid using it in overly casual contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Very nice vs Wonderful
What's the difference between Very nice and Wonderful?
Very nice: Really good or pleasant. Wonderful: Very good or great; something that makes you feel happy.
Which is more common: Very nice and Wonderful?
Wonderful is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Very nice: The sunset was very nice last evening. Wonderful: The view from the top of the mountain was wonderful.
Can I use Very nice and Wonderful interchangeably?
Not always. Very nice and Wonderful 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.