# external vs externally

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### external
*adjective · IPA /ɪkˈstɜː.nəl/ · frequency rank #2,893*
Outside of something; on the exterior.

### externally
*adverb · frequency rank #19,593*
on the surface or the outside

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/external-vs-externally