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
accidentally와 accidently는 중급(B1) 이상의 학습자들은 물론, 심지어 영어를 모국어로 사용하는 원어민들조차 자주 실수를 범하는 단어입니다. 결론부터 명확히 말씀드리자면, 현대 영어에서 문법적으로 올바른 표준 철자는 오직 accidentally뿐입니다.accidently라는 형태가 이메일이나 SNS, 혹은 인터넷 커뮤니티 등에서 가끔 발견되기도 하지만, 이는 엄연한 오타(misspelling)이며 격식 있는 비즈니스 메일이나 학술적인 에세이에서 사용한다면 학습자의 전문성에 의구심을 갖게 만들 수 있습니다.accidentally의 ll이 왜 두 개인지, 왜 중간에 a가 들어가는지를 이해하는 것은 단순히 한 단어의 철자를 외우는 것을 넘어 영어의 부사 형성 원리를 마스터하는 지름길이 됩니다. 오늘 이 시간을 통해 여러분은 다시는 이 단어의 철자로 고민하지 않게 될 것입니다.accidentally의 올바른 철자를 이해하기 위해서는 영어의 '품사 변화의 사슬(Chain of Part of Speech)'을 이해해야 합니다. 영어는 명사에서 형용사로, 형용사에서 다시 부사로 단계적으로 변화하는 구조를 가지고 있습니다. 이 과정을 무시하고 명사에서 바로 부사로 건너뛰려고 할 때 accidently 같은 오류가 발생합니다.- 1명사 단계 (Noun):
accident
- 의미: 사고, 우연한 사건
- 예:
It was just an accident.(그건 그냥 사고였어요.)
- 1형용사 단계 (Adjective):
accidental
- 형성: 명사
accident+ 형용사형 접미사-al - 의미: 우연한, 고의가 아닌
- 예:
The damage was accidental.(그 손상은 고의가 아니었습니다.)
- 1부사 단계 (Adverb):
accidentally
- 형성: 형용사
accidental+ 부사형 접미사-ly - 의미: 우연히, 실수로
- 예:
I accidentally deleted the file.(제가 실수로 그 파일을 삭제했습니다.)
-al로 끝나는 형용사에 -ly를 붙일 때 l이 중복되어 -ally가 된다는 규칙입니다. 한국어에서는 '우연'이라는 명사에 바로 '히'를 붙여 부사를 만들 수 있지만, 영어에서는 accident라는 명사에 바로 -ly를 붙여 accidently라고 만들지 않습니다. 반드시 중간 단계인 형용사 accidental을 거쳐야 합니다.-al은 '성질을 가진'이라는 뜻을 더해 형용사를 만들고, -ly는 '방법이나 양태'를 나타내어 부사를 만듭니다. 따라서 accidentally는 '우연한(accidental) 방식으로(-ly)'라는 의미 구조를 완벽하게 갖춘 단어인 셈입니다.accidentally가 만들어지는 과정을 체계적으로 정리해 보겠습니다. 이 패턴은 다른 수많은 영어 단어에도 동일하게 적용되므로, 이 표를 머릿속에 저장해 두시면 매우 유용합니다.accident | - | accident | 사고, 우연 |accident | + -al | accidental | 우연한, 부수적인 |accidental | + -ly | accidentally | 우연히, 실수로 |accidently라고 쓰는 이유는 발음 때문이기도 합니다. 실제로 원어민들이 이 단어를 말할 때 중간의 a 발음을 거의 하지 않고 [액시덴틀리]처럼 발음하는 경우가 많거든요. 하지만 철자를 쓸 때는 반드시 형용사 형태를 유지해야 한다는 점을 잊지 마세요.Music(명사) →Musical(형용사) →Musically(부사)Logic(명사) →Logical(형용사) →Logically(부사)Nation(명사) →National(형용사) →Nationally(부사)Incident(명사) →Incidental(형용사) →Incidentally(부사)
-ally로 끝납니다. logically를 logicly라고 쓰지 않는 것과 마찬가지로, accidentally 또한 accidently가 될 수 없습니다. 영어의 부사 형성 규칙은 생각보다 매우 논리적이고 일관적입니다.accidentally는 일상생활부터 비즈니스 상황까지 '의도하지 않은 결과'가 발생했을 때 광범위하게 사용됩니다. 한국어의 '실수로', '우연히', '본의 아니게'라는 표현을 쓰고 싶을 때 가장 먼저 떠올려야 할 단어입니다.I accidentally spilled coffee on my laptop.(노트북에 실수로 커피를 쏟았어요.)She accidentally broke the vase while cleaning.(그녀는 청소하다가 실수로 꽃병을 깨뜨렸습니다.)
I accidentally sent the message to the wrong group chat.(단톡방에 실수로 메시지를 잘못 보냈어요.)He accidentally hit the 'Reply All' button.(그는 실수로 '전체 답장' 버튼을 눌렀습니다.)
We accidentally met at the airport.(우리는 공항에서 우연히 마주쳤습니다.)I accidentally found a great cafe near the office.(사무실 근처에서 우연히 아주 좋은 카페를 발견했어요.)
I'm so sorry, I accidentally took your umbrella.(정말 죄송해요, 제가 실수로 그쪽 우산을 가져갔네요.)It wasn't on purpose; I accidentally deleted your comment.(고의가 아니었어요. 실수로 당신의 댓글을 지웠습니다.)
accidentally vs by accident]by accident와 accidentally 중 무엇을 써야 할지 고민합니다. 의미상으로는 거의 동일하지만, 문법적 쓰임새가 약간 다릅니다.accidentally | 부사 (단어) | I accidentally called him. | 문장 중간(동사 앞)에 주로 위치하며 간결함. |by accident | 전치사구 | I called him by accident. | 문장 끝에 주로 위치하며 약간 더 강조하는 느낌을 줌. |accidentally만 가능합니다. 예를 들어 '우연히 발견된 유물'이라고 할 때는 an accidentally discovered artifact라고 해야 하며, a by accident discovered artifact라고는 하지 않습니다.accidently라고 철자를 쓰는 경우 (Phonetic Error)a를 빼먹는 실수입니다.- 왜 발생하나요? 한국어에서는 '실수'라는 명사 뒤에 바로 조사가 붙기 때문에, 영어에서도
accident라는 명사 뒤에 바로-ly가 붙는다고 착각하기 쉽습니다. - 해결책: 항상
accidental이라는 형용사를 먼저 떠올리세요.accidental+ly입니다.
by accidentally라고 혼용하는 경우 (Mixed Structure)by accident와 accidentally를 섞어서 쓰는 경우입니다.- 잘못된 예:
I did it by accidentally.(X) - 올바른 예:
I did it accidentally.(O) 또는I did it by accident.(O) - 왜 발생하나요? 전치사
by뒤에는 명사가 와야 하는데, 부사인accidentally를 가져다 붙이는 실수입니다. 이는 '실수로'라는 한국어 표현을 영어로 옮길 때 발생하는 간섭 현상입니다.
accidental과 accidentally를 혼동하는 경우 (Part of Speech Confusion)- 잘못된 예:
It was an accidentally discovery.(X) - 올바른 예:
It was an accidental discovery.(O) - 명사discovery를 꾸며야 하므로 형용사가 필요합니다. - 왜 발생하나요? 한국어에서는 '우연한 발견'과 '우연히 발견했다'에서 '우연한/우연히'의 형태가 비슷하게 느껴질 수 있어 혼동이 생깁니다.
accident를 부사처럼 사용하는 경우- 잘못된 예:
I broke it accident.(X) - 올바른 예:
I broke it by accident.(O) - 왜 발생하나요? 한국어에서는
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
| 형태 | 정확성 | 형성 | 예시 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
`accidentally`
|
✅ 올바름
|
`accidental` (형용사) + `-ly`
|
I `accidentally` called you.
|
|
`accidently`
|
❌ 틀림
|
`accidentally`의 흔한 오타
|
I `accidently` called you. (Incorrect)
|
|
`by accident`
|
✅ 올바름
|
전치사구 (같은 의미)
|
I called you `by accident`.
|
|
`accidental`
|
✅ 올바름 (형용사)
|
명사를 수식함
|
It was an `accidental` call.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
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
어떤 철자가 맞을까요?
동사가 어떻게 행해졌는지 설명하고 있나요? (예: 꽃병을 어떻게 깼는지?)
형용사 형태는 무엇인가요?
이제 형용사 `accidental`에 `-ly`를 붙여보세요.
'Accident' 단어 가족
형태
- accidental 형용사
- accidentally 부사
의미
- Unintentional 의도치 않은
- By chance 우연히
유의어
- by accident 구문
- unintentionally 부사
부사 형성: '-ally' 패턴
형용사 (-al)
- • accidental
- • incidental
- • critical
- • digital
부사 (-ally)
- • accidentally
- • incidentally
- • critically
- • digitally
수준별 예문
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.
혼동하기 쉬운
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.
자주 하는 실수
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.
문장 패턴
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!
'Accidental-ly'를 기억해요
accidental을 말한 다음, -ly를 붙이는 거예요. 이렇게 하면 사람들이 자주 잊어버리는 -al- 부분을 자연스럽게 포함하게 돼요. I accidentally spilled my coffee.
맞춤법 검사기를 항상 믿지 마세요
accidently라고 쓰기 때문에, 어떤 자동 수정 시스템은 이걸 단어로 '학습'하기도 해요. 믿지 마세요! 좋은 습관을 들이려면 accidentally로 수동으로 고쳐야 해요. "My spell checker suggested 'accidently', but I changed it to 'accidentally'."확실하지 않을 땐 'By Accident'를 사용해요
by accident라는 표현을 사용하세요. 의미는 완전히 같고, 철자를 틀릴 염려가 없어요. I deleted the photo by accident.(실수로 사진을 지웠어요.)
유창함의 지표
accidentally를 올바르게 사용하면 더 세련되고 지식 있어 보여요. "Using 'accidentally' correctly shows good English proficiency."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!
발음
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.
암기하기
기억법
Remember: 'AL' is ALways there in 'Accidentally'.
시각적 연상
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
챌린지
Write three sentences about things you did 'accidentally' today. Check each one to ensure you have two Ls and an 'a' before them.
문화 노트
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).
대화 시작하기
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?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Oops, I ___ deleted the wrong file from the project folder.
accidentally이며, 형용사 accidental에 접미사 -ly가 붙어 형성됩니다.Find and fix the mistake:
She accidently sent the party invitation to her entire contact list.
Accidently는 흔한 오타입니다. 올바른 부사는 accidentally이며, 이는 형용사 accidental의 -al을 유지합니다.Choose the correct sentence:
accidentally를 올바르게 사용했습니다.Score: /3
연습 문제
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
자주 묻는 질문 (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
관련 동영상
Related Grammar Rules
방언 대 언어: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 우리가 영어를 배울 때 흔히 마주치는 질문 중 하나가 바로 "이건 사투리인가요, 아니면 다른 언어인가요?"라는...
Nowadays vs. Now-a-days: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 언어는 살아있는 생명체와 같아서 시간이 흐르면서 그 형태와 쓰임새가 끊임없이 변하곤 합니다. 오늘 우리가 함...
Let them vs. Let they: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습을 하다 보면 `let them`과 `let they` 중 어떤 것이 맞는지 헷갈릴 때가 있습니다. 결론부터 말씀드리...
Quite vs. Quiet: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습의 여정에서 우리 한국인 학습자들을 가장 당혹스럽게 만드는 것 중 하나는 바로 '비슷하게 생겼지만 완...
Said vs. Told: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어를 배우는 한국인 학습자들에게 `say`와 `tell`은 마치 '숙명적인 라이벌'과 같습니다. 우리말로는 둘 다 단...
