Especially and specially

[María José]

I've never been able to tell the difference between especially and specially so I tend to use them indiscriminately and cross my fingers for luck. Any tips?

[sosia]

I always use specially. I didn't know especially exists.
greetings

[María José]

Lucky you... So far, it has saved you a lot of brain-racking.

[poli]

They are very similar, but there is a small difference. For example you can say, She treats her friends specially. It would be incorrect to say, She treats her friends especially. But you can say She treats her friends especially well
You can say, The meal was made specially
You cannot say, The meal was made especially
but, you can say, The meal was made especially for you

This may be the rule but please correct me if I'm wrong, Rustu and other language people:
Specially works best as an adverb.
Especially works best as an adjective or when followed by a prepositional phrase or as an auxilliary adverb.

[Alfonso]

I don't think any of both especially and specially is an adjective. I think both are adverbs. On the phrases you gave, Poli, both work like adverbs.

The adjectives would be: special / especial.
The adverbs: specially / especially.

If there is a difference between these two words (which I don't have a clue about) it must be because they mean different things or they are used in different contexts. Anyway, I'm more of the opinion that they mean the same.

For the moment, I don't see the difference.

[María José]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I don't think any of both especially and specially is an adjective. I think both are adverbs. On the phrases you gave, Poli, both work like adverbs.

The adjectives would be: special / especial.
The adverbs: specially / especially.

If there is a difference between these two words (which I don't have a clue about) it must be because they mean different things or they are used in different contexts. Anyway, I'm more of the opinion that they mean the same.

For the moment, I don't see the difference.

So far I've never been able to see it myself either, even though it's explained in grammar books and I've asked different people several times.

[poli]

Alfonso, please review my examples. The ones with thumbs up are correct. Review their roles as a part of speech. You should be able to see that specially and especially have a different gramatical function and perhaps adjective is not the
term. Auxiliary adverb is better (an adverb to embellish another adverb like muy) may be a better term.

Think of especially as something similar to very. The word specially does not correspond to very--especially does.

[María José]

Originally Posted by poli

They are very similar, but there is a small difference. For example you can say, She treats her friends specially. It would be incorrect to say, She treats her friends especially. But you can say She treats her friends especially well
You can say, The meal was made specially
You cannot say, The meal was made especially
but, you can say, The meal was made especially for you

This may be the rule but please correct me if I'm wrong, Rustu and other language people:
Specially works best as an adverb.
Especially works best as an adjective or when followed by a prepositional phrase or as an auxilliary adverb.

Thanks, Poli. But I'm still clueless. I'll read your explanation again when I have more time.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by poli

Auxiliary adverb is better (an adverb to embellish another adverb like muy) may be a better term.

Think of especially as something similar to very. The word specially does not correspond to very--especially does.

Originally Posted by poli

1. She treats her friends specially.
2. She treats her friends especially well....... It can be very.
3. The meal was made specially
4. The meal was made especially for you..... It cannot be very.

The conclusion I get is that especially doesn't mean very.

And I don't think auxiliary adverb is a proper term for especially, since in the examples you gave once works modifying another adverb (2. especially well), and once works modifying a verb (4. made especially). The conclusion is that it works both, as much linked to an adverb as linked to a verb, as any other adverb.

Anyway, I had never heard before of the term auxiliary adverb, and Google only gives 84 entries for it, not all of them related to this subject.

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[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

The conclusion I get is that especially doesn't mean very.

And I don't think auxiliary adverb is a proper term for especially, since in the examples you gave once works modifying another adverb (2. especially well), and once works modifying a verb (4. made especially). The conclusion is that it works both, as much linked to an adverb as linked to a verb, as any other adverb.

Anyway, I had never heard before of the term auxiliary adverb, and Google only gives 84 entries for it, not all of them related to this subject.

Are you a grammar-fiction writer, Poli? It's OK if you invent words... But, inventing grammar concepts should take you a little longer.

This may be an invented concept all language is invented. I did not acuñar this concept, but thanks for the compliment.

When especially describes the adverb it is auxiliary much the way very (muy) is. If another word for auxiliary suits you, find it and use it. The word specially doesn't fulfill that function as well. Auxiliary means help it helps discribe the main adverb or adjective.
(He is especially tall. He works especially well.) In this function the
word especially (like very) doesn't stand on its own. It supports a principal adverb or adjective and is therefore auxiliary..
I will repeat especially should be used when it is followed by a prepositional phrase.
Feel free to google yourself silly and find 84 entries or 184 entries or 184,000 entries. It doesn't matter. What I've written makes perfect sense.

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