specially
- 01 B1 Intermediate
for a particular purpose, person, or reason.
for a specific purpose, person, or occasion; often used to describe something custom-made or uniquely arranged.
Simple“This cake was made specially for your birthday party.”
In context“The software was specially designed to meet the needs of small businesses that cannot afford expensive enterprise solutions.”
Usageoften modifies a past participle like 'designed', 'made', or 'chosen'.
PitfallI like fruit, specially apples. I like fruit, especially apples.Use 'especially' to mean 'particularly' or 'above all'. Use 'specially' for a specific purpose, like 'a cake made specially for you'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
in a way that is more than usual or very much.
used to mean 'particularly' or 'to a great degree'; while common in speech, this is often considered less formal than 'especially'.
Simple“It is not specially cold today, but you should still wear a coat.”
In context“The manager was not specially impressed by the candidate's portfolio, noting a lack of original concepts despite the technical proficiency shown.”
Usagefrequently used interchangeably with 'especially' in casual spoken English.
Synonyms
specially vs especially — Especially means 'particularly' or 'above all', while specially means 'for a specific purpose'.
Usage specially designed
From Middle English specialli, specially, equivalent to special + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.