Accidently or Accidentally: What’s the Difference?
Accidently looks almost right, and that is exactly why it fools so many writers. The truth is simple: only accidentally is correct, and accidently is a misspelling that sneaks into texts, emails, and essays all the time. Accidentally means something happened by chance rather than on purpose — as in, “I accidentally deleted the file.”
Quick Answer
| Word | Part of Speech | Main Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| accidently | — (misspelling) | Not a standard English word | ❌ “I accidently sent the email.” |
| accidentally | Adverb | By chance, not on purpose | ✅ “She accidentally left her keys at home.” |
Simple rule: If you mean “by mistake,” always write accidentally. The spelling accidently does not exist in standard dictionaries.
What Does Accidently Mean?
Nothing — at least, not officially. Accidently is one of the most common misspellings of accidentally, born from the way the word sounds when people say it quickly. Say “accidentally” out loud at normal speed and the middle syllable nearly disappears: ak-suh-DENT-lee. That missing sound is what tricks the fingers.
Examples of how this misspelling typically appears (all incorrect):
- ❌ “I accidently called you while my phone was in my pocket.”
- ❌ “He accidently spilled coffee on the report.”
- ❌ “We accidently booked two hotel rooms for the same night.”
- ❌ “She accidently replied to the wrong message.”
None of these sentences is wrong in meaning — the idea comes across perfectly. The problem is purely spelling: standard English has no word “accidently,” so spellcheckers flag it, teachers circle it, and editors quietly fix it.
What Does Accidentally Mean?
Accidentally is an adverb meaning “by chance” or “without intending to.” It is built from the noun accident plus the adverb ending -ally, which is why it has that double L in the middle. Merriam-Webster defines “accidentally” as something happening without intention or through chance rather than design.
Examples:
- “I accidentally deleted the photos from my camera roll.”
- “They accidentally met at the airport and ended up on the same flight.”
- “The vase broke accidentally when the cat knocked it off the shelf.”
- “He accidentally sent the draft to the entire company.”
- “We accidentally discovered a great restaurant while looking for parking.”
Accidently vs. Accidentally: Key Differences
| Feature | Accidently | Accidentally |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling status | Misspelling — not a real word | Correct standard spelling |
| Dictionary entry | No entry in major dictionaries | Listed in every major dictionary |
| How it is formed | Dropped syllable from fast speech | accident + -ally |
| Pronunciation | — | ak-sih-DEN-tuh-lee (5 syllables) |
| Accepted in writing | Never | Always |
| Example | ❌ “It happened accidently.” | ✅ “It happened accidentally.” |
The difference comes down to one thing: accidently is what the word sounds like when you say it fast, while accidentally is how it is actually spelled. Ears lie; dictionaries do not.
Accidently and Accidentally in Real Sentences
At Home
❌ “I accidently washed your white shirt with the dark clothes.”
✅ “I accidentally washed your white shirt with the dark clothes.”
Laundry accidents are the classic example — nobody mixes the loads on purpose, which is exactly what accidentally is for.
At Work
❌ “She accidently shared her screen during the call.”
✅ “She accidentally shared her screen during the call.”
In professional writing, the misspelling stands out even more, so the correct form matters most in work emails and reports.
In Conversation
❌ “We accidently ran into our old teacher at the mall.”
✅ “We accidentally ran into our old teacher at the mall.”
Chance meetings are the textbook use of the adverb — the meeting was unplanned, so accidentally fits perfectly.
Common Mistakes
Spelling slip-ups like this are everywhere — the same kind of swallowed-syllable mistake shows up in the “recieve” vs “receive” mix-up, and the “dieing” or “dying” debate comes from a similar root-word-plus-ending confusion. Here are the traps to watch for with accidently:
Mistake 1: Spelling it the way it sounds
❌ “He accidently left the door open.”
✅ “He accidentally left the door open.”
Why: Fast speech swallows the middle of the word, but the spelling keeps all five syllables: ac-ci-dent-al-ly.
Mistake 2: Adding “-ly” directly to “accident”
❌ “accident” + “ly” = “accidently”
✅ “accident” + “ally” = “accidentally”
Why: Words ending in “-al” form adverbs with “-ly” added to the full “-al” ending, not by chopping it off. The same pattern gives us “finally” from “final” and “really” from “real.”
Mistake 3: Assuming the short form is a casual variant
❌ “It’s fine in texts — everyone writes accidently.”
✅ Even in casual writing, the correct spelling is “accidentally.”
Why: Unlike true informal variants, accidently has no dictionary recognition at all, so it reads as an error rather than a style choice.
Mistake 4: Mixing it up with “incidentally”
❌ “Incidently, I forgot my wallet.”
✅ “Incidentally, I forgot my wallet.”
Why: Incidentally has its own -ally ending and its own meaning (“by the way”), but the same dropped-syllable instinct produces “incidently.” Keep the two words separate in your head.
Pronunciation
Accidentally is pronounced ak-sih-DEN-tuh-lee, with the stress on the third syllable. It rhymes loosely with “incidentally” and “coincidentally” — notice that all three share the same -ally tail. If you can say “accident” clearly, just add “ally” to the end: accident-ally.
How to Remember the Difference
Think of it as accident + ally. Your spelling needs an ALLY: accidentALLY. When something happens by accident, the word itself keeps an ally on board — those two Ls in the middle.
- Break it apart: ac-ci-dent-al-ly — five syllables, and the spelling honors every one of them.
- Link the Ls: final, real, and accident all keep their L before adding -ly: finally, really, accidentally.
- Test it: If your spellchecker underlines it red, you wrote accidently. Trust the red line here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it accidently or accidentally?
Accidentally. That is the only correct spelling in standard English; accidently is a misspelling.
Is “accidently” ever correct?
No. It appears in no major dictionary and is not accepted as a variant, informal or otherwise.
Why do so many people spell it “accidently”?
Because the middle syllable nearly vanishes in fast speech. Writers spell what they hear — ak-suh-DENT-lee — and the “al” gets lost.
What part of speech is “accidentally”?
An adverb. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, usually answering the question “how?” — as in “how did it happen? Accidentally.”
What is the opposite of “accidentally”?
Deliberately, intentionally, or purposely. “She did it accidentally” becomes “She did it deliberately” when intent is involved.
Can “accidentally” be used in formal writing?
Yes. It is a perfectly standard word in every register, from academic papers to casual texts.
Conclusion
Accidentally is the only correct spelling, and accidently is simply the word with a syllable knocked out by fast speech. Remember that an accident keeps an ally — accidentALLY — and you will never drop those letters again.
