Accidentally vs. Accidently: ¿Cuál es la diferencia?
accidentally. Solo recuerda que el adjetivo es accidental y le sumas el sufijo -ly.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Always use 'accidentally' with two Ls and an 'al'. 'Accidently' is a common spelling error based on how we speak.
- Start with the noun 'accident'. Example: 'It was an accident.'
- Turn it into the adjective 'accidental'. Example: 'The damage was accidental.'
- Add -ly to the adjective to get 'accidentally'. Example: 'I accidentally called you.'
Overview
accidentally y accidently es uno de esos hitos que marcan el paso de un nivel intermedio a uno avanzado en inglés. Para nosotros, los hispanohablantes, este es un desafío particular porque nuestra intuición lingüística a veces nos juega malas pasadas al intentar aplicar las reglas de formación de palabras que conocemos en español. Aunque es muy común ver la palabra accidently en mensajes de texto rápidos, redes sociales o correos informales, la realidad es que accidentally es la única forma adverbial correcta y aceptada en el inglés estándar.accidently en un informe de trabajo o en una tarea universitaria se percibe como un error de ortografía básico, similar a cuando alguien confunde 'haber' con 'a ver' en español.accidentally no solo te ayudará a memorizar esta palabra, sino que te dará una herramienta poderosa para formar cientos de otros adverbios correctamente. En esta guía, vamos a desglosar por qué existe esta confusión y cómo puedes evitarla pensando de manera estructural, aprovechando las similitudes entre el inglés y el español.accidentally lleva esa 'a' y esa doble 'l', primero debemos mirar cómo se construyen las palabras en inglés. Al igual que en español, muchas palabras se forman añadiendo piezas (sufijos) al final de una palabra base.accidente (sustantivo) → accidentalmente (adverbio). Si te fijas bien, en español mantenemos la raíz accidental. En inglés, el proceso tiene un paso intermedio que es crucial y que a menudo olvidamos.-ly a un adjetivo, no a un sustantivo.- 1Sustantivo (Noun):
accident(un accidente). - 2Adjetivo (Adjective):
accidental(algo que es accidental). - 3Adverbio (Adverb):
accidental+-ly=accidentally(accidentalmente).
accidently ocurre cuando intentamos saltarnos el paso del adjetivo y queremos unir directamente el sustantivo accident con el sufijo -ly. Es un error de economía lingüística: nuestro cerebro busca el camino más corto. Sin embargo, en inglés, cuando un adjetivo termina en -al, la regla dicta que debemos mantener esa terminación antes de añadir -ly.-ally.-mente. Piénsalo así:formal(adjetivo) +-mente=formalmente(mantenemos la 'l').formal(adjective) +-ly=formally(mantenemos la 'l' y añadimos otra).
accidentally de forma muy rápida, y esa sílaba intermedia (la 'al') casi desaparece, sonando como /ˌæk.sɪˈden.tli/. Al no escucharla claramente, tendemos a no escribirla.accident | La idea base | accident |accidental | Se añade -al | accidental |accidentally | Se añade -ly | accidentally |-al, el adverbio SIEMPRE terminará en -ally. No hay excepciones para esta estructura en este tipo de palabras.Music(música) →Musical(musical) →Musically(musicalmente).Logic(lógica) →Logical(lógico) →Logically(lógicamente).Physical(físico) →Physically(físicamente).Basic(base) →Basical(forma antigua/teórica) →Basically(básicamente). *Ojo: aunque el adjetivo esbasic, el adverbio sigue el patrón-ally.*
musicly o logicly, notarás que visualmente algo falta. Lo mismo debe pasar con accidentally.accidentally para describir acciones que ocurren sin intención, por error o por casualidad. En nuestras conversaciones diarias, ya sea por WhatsApp, en el trabajo o viajando, surgen muchas situaciones donde necesitamos aclarar que algo no fue a propósito.accidentally es la palabra perfecta:I accidentally liked my ex's photo from three years ago.(Le di a 'me gusta' por accidente a la foto de mi ex de hace tres años). ¡Un drama moderno!Sorry, I accidentally deleted the WhatsApp group.(Lo siento, borré el grupo de WhatsApp por accidente).She accidentally sent the email to the whole company.(Ella envió el correo a toda la empresa por error).
I accidentally took the wrong train to the airport.(Por error, tomé el tren equivocado al aeropuerto).We accidentally ordered the spiciest dish on the menu.(Pedimos el plato más picante del menú por accidente).
The accountant accidentally added an extra zero to the invoice.(El contable añadió un cero extra a la factura accidentalmente).I accidentally left my laptop in the taxi.(Me dejé el portátil en el taxi por descuido).
accidentally y by accidentpor accidente. Ambas son correctas, pero se usan de forma distinta en la frase:Accidentallyes un adverbio. Normalmente va antes del verbo principal o al final de la frase.- Ejemplo:
I accidentally broke the glass. By accidentes una frase preposicional. Casi siempre va al final de la frase.- Ejemplo:
I broke the glass by accident.
Subject + accidentally + verb | I accidentally called you. | Estándar / Profesional |Subject + verb + object + by accident | I called you by accident. | Conversacional / Común |accidentalmente o por accidente. La ventaja de accidentally es que es más concisa y suena un poco más elegante en la escritura formal.l simple (accidently)accident con -ly.- Por qué pasa: En español, la palabra 'accidentalmente' es larga, y en inglés tendemos a querer simplificar las palabras que parecen complejas. Además, la pronunciación rápida de los nativos nos engaña.
- Cómo evitarlo: Recuerda siempre la palabra intermedia
accidental. Si puedes deciraccidental, puedes escribiraccidentally.
accidental cuando deberían usar accidentally.- Incorrecto:
I deleted the file accidental. - Correcto:
I deleted the file accidentally. - Explicación:
Accidentaldescribe a una cosa (sustantivo), mientras queaccidentallydescribe cómo hiciste la acción (verbo). Si quieres describir el error en sí, dirías:It was an accidental deletion(Fue un borrado accidental).
- El problema: Al intentar pronunciarlo así y ver que los nativos no lo hacen, el estudiante se confunde y empieza a escribirlo como lo oye (
accidently). - Consejo: Acepta que en inglés muchas letras son
tímidasy no se pronuncian (como la 'a' en este caso), pero eso no significa que no deban escribirse. Mantén la 'a' en el papel, aunque la ignores al hablar.
accidentally no es un caso aislado, vamos a compararlo con otros adverbios que suelen causar los mismos problemas. Esto te ayudará a ver el sistema detrás del idioma.Incident | Incidental | Incidentally | Incidently |Basic | Basic(al) | Basically | Basicly |Irony | Ironic(al) | Ironically | Ironicly |Magic | Magical | Magically | Magicly |General | General | Generally | Generaly |- 1La regla de la doble 'L': Si el adjetivo ya termina en 'l' (como
generaloaccidental), al añadir-lysiempre tendrás una doble 'l'. Es pura matemática lingüística:L + LY = LLY. - 2El caso de las palabras terminadas en
-ic: Palabras comobasic,ironicomagicson muy curiosas. Aunque el adjetivo corto esbasic, para formar el adverbio el inglés casi siempre recupera la forma largabasicalantes de añadir el-ly. Por eso escribimosbasicallyy nobasicly.
-mente se añade a la forma femenina del adjetivo (si la tiene).Lógico→Lógica+mente=Lógicamente.
-ly se añade a la forma base del adjetivo.Logical+ly=Logically.
-al (accidental-mente), en inglés también la necesitas (accidental-ly).accidently una palabra real en algún diccionario?accidently apareció en algunos textos antiguos, pero en el inglés moderno se considera incorrecta. Si la usas en un examen como el TOEFL, IELTS o Cambridge, te restarán puntos. Los correctores automáticos de Word o Google Docs siempre te la marcarán como error.accidentally y by accident?Accidentally es un poco más formal y preferido en la escritura.accidentally de forma sencilla?ALL (todo). Imagina que un accidente afecta a TODO (ALL). Así recordarás que la terminación es -ALLY. Si no tiene la palabra ALL escondida al final (con su doble 'l'), está mal escrita.-al o -ic. Por ejemplo, happy termina en 'y', y su adverbio es happily (cambiamos la 'y' por 'i'). Cada terminación tiene su propia lógica, pero la de -ally es una de las más constantes y útiles que aprenderás en el nivel B1.From Noun to Adverb
| Noun | Adjective (+al) | Adverb (+ly) | Common Error |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Accident
|
Accidental
|
Accidentally
|
Accidently
|
|
Incident
|
Incidental
|
Incidentally
|
Incidently
|
|
Logic
|
Logical
|
Logically
|
Logicly
|
|
Music
|
Musical
|
Musically
|
Musicly
|
|
Magic
|
Magical
|
Magically
|
Magicly
|
|
Basic
|
Basical (archaic)
|
Basically
|
Basicly
|
Meanings
To do something by mistake or without intention; happening by chance rather than design.
Unintentional Action
Performing an action without meaning to do so, often resulting in a mistake.
“She accidentally stepped on my toe in the crowded elevator.”
“He accidentally left his keys inside the locked car.”
Chance Occurrence
Something happening by luck or coincidence rather than a planned event.
“We accidentally met at the train station after five years.”
“The scientist accidentally discovered the cure while researching something else.”
Euphemistic/Sarcastic
Used to describe an action that was likely intentional but presented as a mistake to avoid blame.
“Oh, did I accidentally eat the last slice of your pizza?”
“He 'accidentally' forgot to invite his rival to the party.”
Reference Table
| Forma | ¿Es correcta? | Formación | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
|
`accidentally`
|
✅ Correcta
|
`accidental` (adjetivo) + `-ly`
|
I `accidentally` called you.
|
|
`accidently`
|
❌ Incorrecta
|
Error común de ortografía
|
I `accidently` called you. (Incorrect)
|
|
`by accident`
|
✅ Correcta
|
Frase preposicional (mismo significado)
|
I called you `by accident`.
|
|
`accidental`
|
✅ Correcta (adjetivo)
|
Describe a un sustantivo
|
It was an `accidental` call.
|
Espectro de formalidad
The email was accidentally sent to the incorrect recipient. (Workplace communication)
I accidentally sent the email to the wrong person. (Workplace communication)
I accidentally hit 'send' too soon. (Workplace communication)
My bad, I fat-fingered the send button. (Workplace communication)
Accidentally vs. Accidently
¿Qué ortografía es la correcta?
¿Estás describiendo cómo se hizo un verbo (ej. cómo rompiste algo)?
¿Cuál es la forma del adjetivo?
Ahora, añade `-ly` al adjetivo `accidental`.
La familia de palabras de 'Accident'
Formas
- accidental Adjetivo
- accidentally Adverbio
Significado
- Sin intención
- Por casualidad
Sinónimos
- by accident Frase
- unintentionally Adverbio
Formación de adverbios: El patrón '-ally'
Adjetivo (-al)
- • accidental
- • incidental
- • critical
- • digital
Adverbio (-ally)
- • accidentally
- • incidentally
- • critically
- • digitally
Ejemplos por nivel
I accidentally broke my pen.
I accidentally broke my pen.
He accidentally closed the door.
He accidentally closed the door.
Did you accidentally eat my apple?
Did you accidentally eat my apple?
They accidentally went to the wrong house.
They accidentally went to the wrong house.
I accidentally sent the email to my boss instead of my friend.
I accidentally sent the email to my boss instead of my friend.
She accidentally spilled coffee on her new white shirt.
She accidentally spilled coffee on her new white shirt.
We accidentally missed the last train home.
We accidentally missed the last train home.
The cat accidentally knocked the vase off the table.
The cat accidentally knocked the vase off the table.
I accidentally deleted the photos from our vacation.
I accidentally deleted the photos from our vacation.
The two friends accidentally met in a city they were both visiting.
The two friends accidentally met in a city they were both visiting.
He accidentally revealed the surprise party to the birthday girl.
He accidentally revealed the surprise party to the birthday girl.
I accidentally left the oven on when I went to work.
I accidentally left the oven on when I went to work.
The researcher accidentally discovered the compound's unique properties.
The researcher accidentally discovered the compound's unique properties.
I accidentally insulted him by misinterpreting his cultural traditions.
I accidentally insulted him by misinterpreting his cultural traditions.
The company accidentally published the confidential report on their website.
The company accidentally published the confidential report on their website.
She accidentally became the spokesperson for the movement after her video went viral.
She accidentally became the spokesperson for the movement after her video went viral.
The legislation was accidentally drafted with a loophole that lawyers quickly exploited.
The legislation was accidentally drafted with a loophole that lawyers quickly exploited.
By accidentally omitting the crucial variable, the study's results were rendered invalid.
By accidentally omitting the crucial variable, the study's results were rendered invalid.
He accidentally stumbled upon a cache of historical documents in the attic.
He accidentally stumbled upon a cache of historical documents in the attic.
The protagonist accidentally triggers a series of catastrophic events.
The protagonist accidentally triggers a series of catastrophic events.
The diplomat's gaffe, though seemingly minor, accidentally jeopardized months of delicate negotiations.
The diplomat's gaffe, though seemingly minor, accidentally jeopardized months of delicate negotiations.
The artist's masterpiece was born from a canvas he had accidentally left out in the rain.
The artist's masterpiece was born from a canvas he had accidentally left out in the rain.
One might argue that the empire was acquired accidentally, through a series of reactive skirmishes.
One might argue that the empire was acquired accidentally, through a series of reactive skirmishes.
The software's 'feature' was actually a bug that had been accidentally integrated into the core kernel.
The software's 'feature' was actually a bug that had been accidentally integrated into the core kernel.
Fácil de confundir
Both end in '-ally' and sound similar. Learners often use them interchangeably.
Learners try to combine them into 'by accidentally'.
A more formal synonym that is harder to spell.
Errores comunes
I accidently broke it.
I accidentally broke it.
It was an accidentally.
It was an accident.
I accidentaly saw her.
I accidentally saw her.
He did it accidental.
He did it accidentally.
I accidently sent the text.
I accidentally sent the text.
She accidental spilled the juice.
She accidentally spilled the juice.
Did you do it accidently?
Did you do it accidentally?
I was accidently included in the email.
I was accidentally included in the email.
It happened quite accidently.
It happened quite accidentally.
He accidently discovered the truth.
He accidentally discovered the truth.
The data was accidently corrupted.
The data was accidentally corrupted.
Patrones de oraciones
I accidentally ___ my ___.
It was ___ that I accidentally ___.
While I was ___, I accidentally ___.
The ___ was accidentally ___ by the ___.
Real World Usage
I accidentally liked my ex's photo from 2014.
The database was accidentally wiped during the update.
We accidentally got off at the wrong stop.
The restaurant accidentally sent me the wrong order.
I accidentally arrived thirty minutes early for the interview.
Sorry, accidentally sent that to you!
Recuerda 'Accidental-ly'
It was an accidental mistake.
El autocorrector no siempre ayuda
I accidentally sent that message.
Usa 'By Accident' para estar seguro
I broke the glass by accident.
Un signo de fluidez
Smart Tips
Don't shorten it! The length comes from the 'al' bridge. Keep it long to keep it right.
Almost all -ic words (like basic, magic) need -ally, not just -ly.
Put 'accidentally' right before the verb to sound most sincere.
Count the Ls: one from 'accidental' and one from 'ly'. 1 + 1 = 2!
Pronunciación
The Silent 'A'
In fast speech, the 'a' in 'accidentally' is often not pronounced. It sounds like 'ak-si-dent-lee'.
Stress Pattern
The primary stress is on the third syllable: ac-ci-DEN-tal-ly.
Apologetic Intonation
I ↘accidentally ↗broke it.
A falling-rising tone on the word shows sincere regret.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Remember: 'AL' is ALways there in 'Accidentally'.
Asociación visual
Imagine a person named AL who is very clumsy. Every time there is an accident, AL is in the middle of it. Accid-AL-ly.
Rhyme
To spell it right, don't be shy, keep the 'AL' before the 'LY'.
Story
Once there was a man named Al who lived in a town called Accident. He did everything in an 'Accident-Al' way. When he moved, he did it 'Accident-Al-ly'.
Word Web
Desafío
Write three sentences about things you did 'accidentally' today. Check each one to ensure you have two Ls and an 'a' before them.
Notas culturales
Using 'accidentally' is a key way to avoid social conflict. It signals that you are not a 'bad' person, just a 'clumsy' or 'forgetful' one.
British speakers often use 'by accident' more frequently than 'accidentally' in spoken conversation, though both are correct.
On social media, 'accidentally' is often used ironically to describe things that were definitely planned, like 'accidentally' posting a perfect selfie.
Derived from the Latin 'accidens' (happening), which comes from 'ad-' (to) + 'cadere' (to fall).
Inicios de conversación
Have you ever accidentally sent a text message to the wrong person?
What is something you accidentally discovered that turned out to be useful?
Tell me about a time you accidentally went to the wrong place.
In your opinion, are the best things in life planned or do they happen accidentally?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
Oops, I ___ deleted the wrong file from the project folder.
accidentally, que se forma de accidental + -ly.Find and fix the mistake:
She accidently sent the party invitation to her entire contact list.
Accidently es un error común. El adverbio correcto mantiene la 'a' de accidental.Selecciona la opción correcta:
accidentally para describir la acción de olvidar.Score: /3
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesI ___ deleted the file.
The discovery was purely ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
She accidently left her umbrella on the bus.
Match the following:
The word 'accidently' is the standard spelling in American English.
spilled / I / coffee / accidentally / my
A: Why did you call me at 3 AM? B: Sorry! I ___.
Select the correct list:
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesHe ___ tripped over the cat on his way to the kitchen.
Selecciona la oración correcta:
The discovery was made totaly accidently during a different experiment.
Traduce al inglés: 'Presioné el botón sin querer (por accidente)'.
The meeting was an ___ success; we didn't plan for it to go that well.
Ordena las palabras para formar una oración:
Selecciona la oración correcta:
I'm so sorry, I must have accidently deleted your comment.
Une las palabras con su función gramatical:
The secret agent ___ let his true identity slip during the conversation.
Ordena las palabras:
Traduce al inglés: '¿Se borraron las fotos accidentalmente?'
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
In modern standard English, no. It is considered a misspelling. You might see it in very old books, but you should never use it today.
Because of how we speak! We often skip the 'al' sound, so it sounds like `accidently`. People often write what they hear.
It always has two 'Ls'. This is because the adjective `accidental` ends in 'L', and we add `ly` to it.
There is no difference in meaning. `Accidentally` is an adverb, and `by accident` is a prepositional phrase. Both are correct.
Yes! For example: `Accidentally, I left my keys inside.` However, it is more common to put it before the verb.
It is neutral. You can use it in a text to a friend or in a formal business report.
In formal speech, it's a quick 'uh' sound (a schwa). In casual speech, it often disappears entirely.
Yes! `Basically`, `incidentally`, and `automatically` all follow the same rule. They all need the `al` before the `ly`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
accidentalmente
Spanish only has one 'l' because Spanish doesn't double 'l' for adverbs.
accidentellement
The vowel before the 'l' is an 'e' in French, but an 'a' in English.
versehentlich
German adverbs often don't have a special ending like '-ly'.
ukkari (うっかり)
Japanese places the adverb before the verb without any suffix.
bi-l-sudfa (بالصدفة)
It uses a noun ('sudfa') with a preposition ('bi') instead of a suffix.
bù xiǎoxīn (不小心)
It focuses on the lack of care rather than the 'accident' itself.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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