Which to use
“narrower” is a noun and “narrowly” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,913
- “narrower” frequency rank
- #12,109
- “narrowly” frequency rank
- 32022
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | narrower | narrowly |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | One who, or that which, narrows. | In a narrow manner; without flexibility or latitude. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set narrower and narrowly apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: narrower is anoun and narrowlyanadverb. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32022, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
narrower is recorded at frequency rank #19,913, classified as anoun. narrowly is at rank #12,109, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˈnɛɹoʊli/.
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 32022, this pair ranks #341,241 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of narrower vs narrowly
Shared letters: anorw. Private to "narrower": e. Private to "narrowly": ly.
"narrower" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "narrowly" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "narrower" and "narrowly" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "narrower" or "narrowly"?
Remembering narrower vs narrowly
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “narrower”; for an adverb, it's “narrowly”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “narrower” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable