Accidentally vs. Accidently : Quelle est la différence ?
accidentally. C'est l'adjectif accidental auquel on ajoute -ly. C'est simple, non ?
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 et accidently représente un défi classique pour les apprenants francophones de niveau B1, et pour être honnête, elle fait même hésiter certains locuteurs natifs. Si tu as déjà tapé accidently dans un correcteur orthographique pour voir une petite ligne rouge apparaître, tu n'es pas seul. Dans le flux rapide des communications numériques, sur TikTok ou dans des messages informels, on voit passer la forme erronée de plus en plus souvent.accidentally est la seule forme correcte et standard en anglais moderne.l est nécessaire, c'est s'assurer de ne plus jamais faire l'erreur, que ce soit dans un e-mail au bureau ou lors d'un examen de certification.accidentally correctement, c'est montrer que tu comprends la hiérarchie des mots : du nom vers l'adjectif, puis vers l'adverbe. Dans les sections suivantes, nous allons décomposer ce mécanisme pour que cela devienne un automatisme, en nous appuyant sur les parallèles naturels avec le français.accidentally prend un a et deux l, il faut regarder sous le capot de la langue. En anglais, la formation des adverbes suit généralement une route très balisée. La règle de base, que tu connais sans doute, est d'ajouter le suffixe -ly à un adjectif.quick (rapide) devient quickly (rapidement).-al. C'est exactement ce qui se passe ici. Le mot ne naît pas directement comme un adverbe ; il suit une évolution en trois étapes.- 1Tout commence par le nom :
accident. En français, c'est identique :un accident. - 2Ensuite, on crée l'adjectif :
accidental. C'est ici que leaapparaît. En français, nous passons deaccidentàaccidentel. Tu remarqueras que le français ajoute aussi un suffixe (-el) pour transformer le nom en adjectif. - 3Enfin, on transforme cet adjectif en adverbe en ajoutant
-ly:accidental+-ly=accidentally.
accident (le nom) à l'adverbe en ajoutant juste -ly, tu obtiens accidently, ce qui est grammaticalement incomplet. C'est comme si, en français, tu essayais de dire accident-ment au lieu de accidentellement.l est donc le résultat logique de la rencontre entre le l final de l'adjectif accidental et le l initial du suffixe -ly. Ce n'est pas une fantaisie orthographique, c'est une collision structurelle.Accident |Accidental |Accidentally |-el du français correspond au -al de l'anglais. Si tu te souviens qu'en français on dit accidentellement (avec deux 'l' et un 'e' avant), tu te souviendras plus facilement qu'en anglais, il faut garder le al avant le ly.accidently vient souvent du fait que l'on se base sur la prononciation.a de accidentally est souvent très discret, presque muet (on appelle cela un *schwa*). On entend souvent /ˌæk.sɪˈden.tli/, ce qui pousse à écrire ce que l'on entend. Mais la grammaire anglaise est plus rigoureuse que la prononciation.- NOM :
accident(L'événement non prévu) - ADJECTIF :
accident+-al=accidental(Qui arrive par hasard) - ADVERBE :
accidental+-ly=accidentally(De manière fortuite)
accidentally, tu la maîtrises pour des dizaines d'autres adverbes. Regarde ces exemples :Music(Nom) →Musical(Adjectif) →Musically(Adverbe)Logic(Nom) →Logical(Adjectif) →Logically(Adverbe)Nation(Nom) →National(Adjectif) →Nationally(Adverbe)Emotion(Nom) →Emotional(Adjectif) →Emotionally(Adverbe)
-al, l'adverbe se terminera TOUJOURS en -ally. Il n'y a pas d'exception pour cette catégorie de mots.al parce que nous pensons en français à des mots qui n'ont pas forcément cette étape. Mais en anglais, dès que tu as un mot d'origine latine (comme la plupart des mots en -al), cette structure est très stable.accidentally s'utilise pour décrire une action qui s'est produite sans intention, par erreur ou par pur hasard. Il vient modifier le verbe pour préciser les circonstances de l'action. Dans la vie quotidienne, on l'utilise énormément pour s'excuser ou expliquer une maladresse.I accidentally spilled coffee on my laptop.(J'ai renversé du café sur mon ordinateur par accident.)She accidentally broke the vase while cleaning.(Elle a cassé le vase par mégarde en faisant le ménage.)
accidentally aujourd'hui. Qui n'a jamais fait une erreur sur son téléphone ?I accidentally liked my ex's photo from three years ago.(J'ai liké par erreur une photo de mon ex qui date d'il y a trois ans.)He accidentally hit(Il a cliqué surreply allto the entire company.répondre à touspar erreur et tout l'entreprise a reçu l'e-mail.)Sorry, I accidentally deleted the file.(Désolé, j'ai supprimé le fichier par mégarde.)
They accidentally found a great little restaurant in a side street.(Ils ont trouvé par hasard un super petit resto dans une ruelle.)The scientist accidentally discovered the cure while researching something else.(Le scientifique a découvert le remède par hasard alors qu'il cherchait autre chose.)
accidentally vs by accidentby accident parce que c'est la traduction littérale de par accident. C'est tout à fait correct ! Les deux sont interchangeables dans la plupart des cas, mais accidentally sonne souvent plus fluide et plus natif dans une phrase complexe.Adverb | I accidentally called you. | Fluide, direct, très naturel. |Prepositional phrase | I called you by accident. | Un peu plus d'emphase sur l'accident lui-même. |accidentally pour modifier un adjectif, mais pas by accident.- Correct :
The results were accidentally misleading.(Les résultats étaient trompeurs par mégarde.) - Incorrect :
The results were by accident misleading.
AL (The Spelling Trap)accidently. Pourquoi ? Parce qu'en français, on entend accident et on veut ajouter le suffixe de l'adverbe. On oublie que l'anglais exige la base adjectivale.a de manière forte, donc notre cerveau l'élimine à l'écrit.accidentel-lement. Si le mot français a un el, le mot anglais a un al.accidental à la place de accidentally.- Erreur :
I deleted the file accidental. - Correction :
I deleted the file accidentally.
il chante faux). En anglais, c'est beaucoup plus rare. Si tu décris comment tu as fait l'action, il te faut le -ly.par accidentper accident ou with accident.by accident, soit accidentally. Il n'y a pas d'autre option naturelle. Si tu as un doute sur l'orthographe de accidentally, utilise by accident, c'est ta roue de secours sécurisée !-ly mais qui ne suivent pas le pattern -ally. C'est là que beaucoup d'apprenants s'emmêlent les pinceaux.-ly :-ly. Pas de double l (sauf si l'adjectif finit déjà par l).Bad→Badly(Pas deaici, car l'adjectif n'est pasbadal!)Soft→SoftlyQuick→Quickly
accidentally. Le a appartient à l'adjectif.Actual→Actually(Vrai ami deactuellement, attention au sens !)Final→Finally(Final + ly)General→Generally(General + ly)
Accidental | -al | Accidentally | Accidently |Incidental | -al | Incidentally | Incidently |Basic | -ic | Basically | Basicly |Fluent | -ent | Fluently | Fluentaly |Basically :* Tu remarqueras que pour basic, l'adjectif est basic, mais l'adverbe est basically. L'anglais ajoute souvent ce al de manière automatique pour les mots finissant en -ic avant de mettre le -ly. C'est une raison de plus pour considérer le suffixe -ally comme un bloc solide à mémoriser.accidently existe vraiment dans le dictionnaire ?accidently est soit absent, soit marqué comme une variante archaïque ou une erreur d'orthographe courante. En gros : ne l'utilise jamais si tu veux paraître professionnel.accidentally sans bégayer sur les 'L' ?ac-ci-den-ta-ly. On dit plutôt ac-ci-den-tlee. Le a et le premier l disparaissent presque totalement à l'oral. C'est d'ailleurs pour ça qu'on fait l'erreur à l'écrit !accidental + ly. Les deux l doivent être là pour montrer l'origine du mot, même si ta langue n'en claque qu'un seul.accidentally au début d'une phrase ?Accidentally, I found exactly what I was looking for. Cela donne un côté un peu plus formel ou littéraire à ton récit.Accident (le grand-père) donne Accidental (le père), qui donne enfin Accidentally (le fils). Si tu oublies le père (accidental), la lignée est brisée et ton orthographe aussi ! T'inquiète pas, avec un peu de pratique, ce double l deviendra une seconde nature.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
| Forme | Correction | Formation | Exemple |
|---|---|---|---|
|
`accidentally`
|
✅ Correct
|
`accidental` (adjectif) + `-ly`
|
I `accidentally` called you.
|
|
`accidently`
|
❌ Incorrect
|
Faute d'orthographe courante de `accidentally`
|
I `accidently` called you. (Incorrect)
|
|
`by accident`
|
✅ Correct
|
Locution prépositionnelle (même sens)
|
I called you `by accident`.
|
|
`accidental`
|
✅ Correct (comme adjectif)
|
Décrit un nom
|
It was an `accidental` call.
|
Spectre de formalité
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
Quelle orthographe est la bonne ?
Décris-tu comment un verbe a été fait (par exemple, comment tu as cassé le vase) ?
Quelle est la forme adjectivale ?
Maintenant, ajoute `-ly` à l'adjectif `accidental`.
La famille de mots 'Accident'
Formes
- accidental Adjectif
- accidentally Adverbe
Sens
- Unintentional Involontaire
- By chance Par hasard
Synonymes
- by accident Expression
- unintentionally Adverbe
Formation des adverbes : le modèle en '-ally'
Adjectif (-al)
- • accidental
- • incidental
- • critical
- • digital
Adverbe (-ally)
- • accidentally
- • incidentally
- • critically
- • digitally
Exemples par niveau
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.
Facile à confondre
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.
Erreurs courantes
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.
Structures de phrases
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!
Pense à 'Accidental-ly'
accidental dans ta tête, puis ajoute -ly. Ça t'aidera à te rappeler le 'al' que tout le monde oublie. It was an accidental meeting, and I accidentally spilled my coffee.
Le correcteur orthographique n'est pas toujours ton ami
accidently, certains correcteurs l'ont appris. Ne leur fais pas confiance ! Corrige-le manuellement en accidentally pour prendre de bonnes habitudes. "My phone autocorrected 'accidentally' to 'accidently'."Utilise 'By Accident' pour être sûr
by accident. Ça veut dire exactement la même chose et c'est impossible de se tromper d'orthographe. I deleted the file by accident.
Un signe de maîtrise de la langue
accidentally correctement, surtout dans un cadre pro, te donne l'air plus soigné et compétent. Your report was accidentally sent to the wrong client.
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!
Prononciation
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.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember: 'AL' is ALways there in 'Accidentally'.
Association visuelle
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
Défi
Write three sentences about things you did 'accidentally' today. Check each one to ensure you have two Ls and an 'a' before them.
Notes culturelles
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).
Amorces de conversation
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?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Oops, I ___ deleted the wrong file from the project folder.
accidentally, qui est formé de l'adjectif accidental plus le suffixe -ly.Find and fix the mistake:
She accidently sent the party invitation to her entire contact list.
Accidently est une faute d'orthographe courante. L'adverbe correct est accidentally, qui conserve le -al de l'adjectif accidental.Choose the correct sentence:
accidentally pour décrire le verbe 'forgot'.Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
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.
Choose the correct sentence:
The discovery was made totaly accidently during a different experiment.
Translate into English: 'The action of me pressing the button was not on purpose.'
The meeting was an ___ success; we didn't plan for it to go that well.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Choose the correct sentence:
I'm so sorry, I must have accidently deleted your comment.
Match the words with their correct description:
The secret agent ___ let his true identity slip during the conversation.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Translate into English: 'Was the deletion of the photos intentional or not?'
Score: /12
FAQ (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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