logicalvslogicallyWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: logical is a adjective, logically is an adverb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“logical” is an adjective and “logically” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,708
“logical” frequency rank
#16,518
“logically” frequency rank
22226
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature logical logically
Definition In agreement with the principles of logic; sequacious. In a logical manner, with logic.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set logical and logically apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
logical
9 ch
logically

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

logical and logically form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “logical” sits inside “logically” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22226, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

logical is recorded at frequency rank #5,708, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈlɒd͡ʒɪkəl/. logically is at rank #16,518, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˈlɑd͡ʒɪˌkli/.

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 22226, this pair ranks #418,098 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

logical#5,708
logically#16,518

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "logical" and "logically" be used interchangeably?
No, "logical" and "logically" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering logical vs logically

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “logical”; for an adverb, it's “logically”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “logical” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list