Accidentally vs. Accidently: Qual é a diferença?
accidentally. The adjective is accidental, so just add -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 ou accidently? Se você já passou por isso, não se sinta sozinho. Essa é uma das armadilhas mais comuns para estudantes de nível intermediário (B1) e, acredite ou não, até para muitos falantes nativos de inglês.accidently aparecendo com frequência. No entanto, se o seu objetivo é soar profissional, preciso e demonstrar um domínio sólido da língua, a regra é clara: accidentally é a única forma considerada correta e padrão no inglês moderno.accidentally, o som do 'a' muitas vezes desaparece, virando o que os linguistas chamam de *schwa* (um som de vogal muito reduzido e neutro). Por causa disso, muita gente escreve apenas o que ouve: accidently.accidentally precisa daquele 'a' e de dois 'l', precisamos olhar para a 'árvore genealógica' da palavra. Em inglês, assim como no português, as palavras pertencem a categorias (substantivos, adjetivos, advérbios) e elas se transformam umas nas outras através da adição de sufixos (aquelas terminações que mudam o sentido ou a função da palavra).- 1Substantivo: Acidente (em inglês:
accident) - 2Adjetivo: Acidental (em inglês:
accidental) - 3Advérbio: Acidentalmente (em inglês:
accidentally)
accidental e grudamos o sufixo -ly.accidently acontece quando a pessoa tenta pular o degrau do adjetivo e tenta transformar o substantivo accident diretamente em advérbio. É como se, em português, em vez de falarmos 'acidentalmente', tentássemos falar 'acidentemente'. Soa estranho, não é?accidently soa para um ouvido nativo atento.-al, você mantém esse -al e adiciona o -ly. O resultado inevitável é a terminação -ally com dois 'l'.accidentally está dando uma característica para a sua ação, explicando que não houve intenção.Accidental serve para qualquer situação, e accidentally também. O que realmente importa é a preservação da raiz da palavra. Se você remover o al, você destrói a base adjetiva da palavra, e é aí que o erro gramatical se consolida.accidentally é como seguir uma receita de bolo. Se você pular um ingrediente, o resultado final não será o esperado. Vamos quebrar esse processo em três passos simples que você pode aplicar a muitas outras palavras.accident | A base de tudo | accident | *The accident caused a traffic jam.* |accident | + sufixo -al | accidental | *It was an accidental click on the link.* |accidental | + sufixo -ly | accidentally | *I accidentally liked her photo on Instagram.* |accidental já termina com a letra 'l'. Quando adicionamos o sufixo -ly, acabamos com dois 'l'. Isso é sistemático no inglês.quick, o advérbio terá apenas um 'l' (quickly).Music(música) →Musical(musical) →Musically(musicalmente)Logic(lógica) →Logical(lógico) →Logically(logicamente)Physical(físico) →Physically(fisicamente)Basic(básico) →Basical(arcaico) /Basic→ Atenção aqui! Mesmo palavras comobasicque não usam muito a formabasicalno dia a dia, seguem o padrão-allyna hora de virar advérbio:basically.
accidentally costuma ser /ˌæk.sɪˈden.təl.i/.accident-ly. Se você escrever como ouve, vai acabar escrevendo accidently. O segredo é: não confie apenas no seu ouvido; confie na estrutura da palavra. Lembre-se sempre de passar pelo adjetivo accidental antes de chegar ao advérbio.accidentally é extremamente comum porque, sejamos sinceros, a vida é cheia de pequenos imprevistos. Usamos essa palavra sempre que queremos deixar claro que algo não foi planejado, que foi um erro sem intenção ou um acaso do destino.- 1No Trabalho (E-mails e reuniões):
*Sorry, I
(Desculpe, eu deixei meu microfone ligado acidentalmente.)accidentallyleft my microphone on.**I
(Eu deletei sem querer a planilha que você me enviou.)accidentallydeleted the spreadsheet you sent me.*
- 1Nas Redes Sociais:
accidentally.*I was scrolling through your feed and
(Eu estava rodando seu feed e sem querer curti um post antigo.)accidentallyliked an old post.*
- 1Situações de Lazer e Viagens:
*I
(Eu derrubei água na mesa sem querer.)accidentallyspilled water on the table.*
by accidentPosso falar. A resposta é sim! As duas formas significam a mesma coisa, mas a gramática muda um pouco.by accidentem vez deaccidentally?
Accidentally é um advérbio de uma palavra só, enquanto by accident é uma expressão (locução adverbial).- Com advérbio:
*I
(O advérbio geralmente vem antes do verbo ou no final da frase).accidentallybroke the glass.* - Com expressão:
*I broke the glass
(A expressão geralmente vem no final da frase).by accident.*
accidentally | by accident |accidentally found the keys.* | *She found the keys by accident.* |accidently)- Por que acontece: No português, a transição entre 'acidental' e 'mente' é muito clara. No inglês, a junção de
-al+-lycria um som que parece uma coisa só. - Dica para evitar: Sempre que for escrever, pense na palavra 'acidental' em português. Se tem 'al' em português, tem que ter 'al' em inglês (
accidental). Depois é só colocar oly.
accidental vs accidentally)- Erro comum:
*I
accidentalclosed the window.* - Correção:
*I
accidentallyclosed the window.* - Por que acontece: Às vezes, na pressa de falar, a gente usa a forma mais curta da palavra. Mas lembre-se: se você está descrevendo como fechou a janela (a ação), você precisa do advérbio. Se você está descrevendo o que aconteceu (um evento), você usa o adjetivo.
- *Example:*
*It was an
(Foi um encontro acidental - descreve o encontro).accidentalmeeting.*
by accident com accidentally e cria um monstro gramatical.- Incorreto:
*I did it by accidentally.*
- Correto:
*I did it
OUaccidentally.**I did it
by accident.* - Por que acontece: O cérebro tenta reforçar a ideia de 'por acaso' e acaba somando as duas formas. Lembre-se: ou você usa um, ou usa outro. Nunca os dois juntos!
accidentally não é uma exceção isolada. O inglês é cheio de palavras que seguem esse exato padrão. Quando você entende um, você entende todos.Incident | Incidental | Incidentally | *Incidentally, I saw your brother yesterday.* |Logic | Logical | Logically | *Let's look at this problem logically.* |General | General | Generally | *Generally, we don't work on Saturdays.* |Nature | Natural | Naturally | *She is naturally very talented.* |Emotion | Emotional | Emotionally | *It was an emotionally charged meeting.* |Statistic | Statistical | Statistically | *This is statistically unlikely to happen.* |Basically:basically se o adjetivo é basic (sem o 'al')?basical, que caiu em desuso, mas a forma do advérbio permaneceu fiel à regra do -ally. Por isso, mesmo que o adjetivo termine apenas em ic (como scientific, artistic, basic), o advérbio quase sempre ganhará o -ally.Scientific→ScientificallyArtistic→ArtisticallyBasic→Basically
-ic, pode apostar que o advérbio termina em -ally (com duas letras 'l'). A única exceção famosa é a palavra public, cujo advérbio é publicly (sem o 'al'). Mas para o nível B1, focar no padrão -ally vai te salvar em 99% dos casos!accidently em mensagens informais de texto?accidentally corretamente mostra que você é um estudante dedicado e atento. No trabalho ou em provas como TOEFL/IELTS, accidently é erro na certa.accidentally e unintentionally?Accidentally geralmente implica um evento físico ou um erro prático (derrubar algo, clicar num botão errado).Unintentionally é um pouco mais formal e foca na falta de intenção mental ou estratégica. Se você ofendeu alguém sem querer com um comentário, você pode dizer: *I unintentionally offended him.*accidently está no dicionário?accidently como uma variante não padrão. Isso significa que eles reconhecem que as pessoas usam a palavra, mas deixam claro que ela não segue as regras da norma culta. É como certas palavras que usamos no português coloquial que os dicionários registram apenas para documentar o uso, mas que um professor nunca recomendaria numa redação.
musical, o jeito de tocar é musically. Se o erro é accidental, ele aconteceu accidentally. Sacou?accidentally é apenas o adjetivo accidental com um 'disfarce' de advérbio, a escrita se torna natural.accidentally nesta semana — talvez um e-mail enviado sem anexo ou um iFood pedido para o endereço errado. Praticar com situações Reais é o que faz a gramática 'colar' de verdade.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
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + accidentally + Verb
|
I accidentally called you.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + did not + accidentally + Verb
|
I did not accidentally break it; I did it on purpose.
|
|
Question
|
Did + Subject + accidentally + Verb?
|
Did you accidentally delete the file?
|
|
With Auxiliary
|
Subject + have + accidentally + Past Participle
|
She has accidentally left her phone.
|
|
Passive Voice
|
Subject + was + accidentally + Past Participle
|
The window was accidentally broken.
|
|
Short Answer
|
Yes, I did (accidentally).
|
Did you trip? Yes, I did accidentally.
|
Espectro de formalidade
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)
The Adverb Bridge
The Root
- Accident The noun (the event)
The Bridge
- Accidental The adjective (the quality)
The Result
- Accidentally The adverb (the manner)
Spelling vs. Sound
Should I use -ally?
Does the adjective end in -al?
Is the word 'Accidental'?
Exemplos por nível
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.
Erros comuns
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.
Padrões de frases
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!
The 'AL' Test
Spellcheck Trap
Double the L
Softening Mistakes
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!
Pronúncia
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.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Remember: 'AL' is ALways there in 'Accidentally'.
Associação 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
Desafio
Write three sentences about things you did 'accidentally' today. Check each one to ensure you have two Ls and an 'a' before them.
Notas culturais
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).
Iniciadores de conversa
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 diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
I ___ deleted the file.
The discovery was purely ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
She accidently left her umbrella on the bus.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
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
Exercicios praticos
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
Perguntas frequentes (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
Vídeos relacionados
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Como dizer SEM QUERER em inglês? (Accidentally vs By Accident)
SmallAdvantages
Como usar ACCIDENTALLY e outras palavras confusas
English Yourself
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