Which to use
“virtual” is an adjective and “virtually” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,202
- “virtual” frequency rank
- #4,641
- “virtually” frequency rank
- 8843
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | virtual | virtually |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | In effect or essence, rather than in fact or reality; also, imitated, simulated. | Almost but not quite. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set virtual and virtually apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
virtual and virtually 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) - “virtual” sits inside “virtually” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8843, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
virtual is recorded at frequency rank #4,202, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəl/. virtually is at rank #4,641, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/.
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 8843, this pair ranks #500,441 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "virtual" and "virtually" be used interchangeably?
Remembering virtual vs virtually
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “virtual”; for an adverb, it's “virtually”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “virtual” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable