# potential vs potentially

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### potential
*noun · IPA /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ · frequency rank #1,057*
A currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to).

### potentially
*adverb · IPA /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/ · frequency rank #3,715*
In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.

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