Usually

How to spell usually

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce usually

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does usually mean?

1. adverbIn most cases; as is normally the case or expected.

Usually in a sentence

• The morning train is usually packed by half past eight.

• She usually works from home on Fridays to avoid the commute.

Where does usually come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin usualis, meaning 'ordinary' or 'in common use', which was built on usus, the noun for 'use' or 'custom'. That noun in turn came from the verb uti, 'to use' or 'to make use of', the same root that gives English 'use', 'usual', 'utility', and 'utensil'. English borrowed the adjective form through Old French as 'usual' in the late 1300s, and the adverb 'usually' followed naturally by adding the native English ending -ly to describe something done in the customary or expected way. The spelling trap is hidden in the middle: the silent, gliding -ual- stretch followed by a single l in 'usual' but a doubled-looking '-ally' sound, which tempts writers to drop a letter or misplace the l. Remembering that it is simply 'usual' plus '-ly' keeps both l-bearing parts intact.

How the word is built

• usu- (from Latin usus: use, custom)
• -al (adjective suffix)
• -ly (adverb suffix)