{"id":4664,"date":"2021-04-23T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T11:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=4664"},"modified":"2025-03-06T15:49:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T21:49:32","slug":"first-vs-firstly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/adjectives-adverbs\/first-vs-firstly\/","title":{"rendered":"First<\/em> vs. Firstly<\/em>: When to Use Each One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you have seen the words first<\/em> and firstly<\/em> in sentences and wondered which one is correct\u2014or if firstly<\/em> is even a real word. If so, today’s post can help.<\/p>\n

First<\/em> Things Firstly<\/em><\/h2>\n

As a starting point, let’s note that both first<\/em> and firstly<\/em> are technically correct in a grammatical sense. That means you can use either one without being wrong. Either word falls under the category of “enumeration,” which involves using numbered lists to make a point or explanation. If you were showing a friend how to bake a cake and said something such as “first, you pour in the flour, and second, you add the eggs,” you would be using enumeration.<\/p>\n

With that understood, you could<\/em> use firstly<\/em> instead of first<\/em>. As we mentioned, it is grammatically correct.<\/p>\n

We do however recommend that you don’t make a habit of it. Here are some good reasons why:<\/p>\n

Firstly<\/em> is a longer word with an extra syllable. Shorter is often better in writing, speaking, and reading.<\/p>\n

Firstly<\/em> is an uncommon word. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, using it could make it seem as if you are trying to hide a point or “dress up” an otherwise lacking idea. In other words, it’s distracting.<\/p>\n

Because firstly<\/em> isn’t common in usage, some teachers, professors, and employers may consider it to be incorrect even when it isn’t. So, it could hurt your grades or your ability to communicate.<\/p>\n

Firstly<\/em> is more awkward to say out loud than first <\/em>is. Whether it’s verbal or written, good communication calls on us to be as clear and simple as possible.<\/p>\n

To be consistent, we would need to follow firstly<\/em> with secondly<\/em>, thirdly<\/em>, fourthly<\/em>, and so on. That can get cumbersome. Such writing or speaking might not be grammatically wrong, but it isn’t always going to help us win a reader’s or listener’s attention.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The First and Last Line on Firstly<\/em><\/h2>\n

If you wish to continue writing and saying firstly<\/em>, you won’t be defying grammatical principles. But don’t be surprised if other people act as if you are. It’s a word most native English speakers don’t use, and some might assume it implies a lesser understanding of the language.<\/p>\n

Unless you have a specific reason to use firstly<\/em>, secondly<\/em>, thirdly<\/em>, and so on, it’s better to stick with the shorter, simpler, and more commonly accepted alternatives first<\/em>, second<\/em>, and third<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Looking to Sharpen Your Grammar?<\/h2>\n

Our mission is to improve daily communication\u2014as well as grades and careers\u2014with one good grammar tip at a time. If you would like to learn more, visit our blog again soon. Also feel free to leave us a comment or question below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you have seen the words first and firstly in sentences and wondered which one is correct\u2014or if firstly is even a real word. If so, today’s post can help. First Things Firstly As a starting point, let’s note that both first and firstly are technically correct in a grammatical sense. That means you can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives-adverbs"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7175,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664\/revisions\/7175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}