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"Accurately" vs. "precisely": pinpointing the language nuance

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 19/10/2024, 21:17

English.me team member

Accurately and precisely. What's the difference?

What is similar?

Both "accurately" and "precisely" describe the quality of being exact and correct, often with regard to measurements, descriptions, or performance.

What is different?

While "accurately" emphasizes correctness and being free from errors, "precisely" emphasizes exactness and being very specific or detailed.

Which one is more common?

Internet search results for accurately) and precisely

Examples of usage

Accurately

The scientist measured the liquid's temperature accurately.
She answered the questions accurately on the test.
He was able to hit the target accurately every time.

Precisely

The clock was set to the correct time precisely.
They calculated the distance precisely to two decimal places.
She explained the instructions precisely so there was no confusion.

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