Naturally vs Of course vs That figures

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Naturally

Top 2,000 (common) B1 adverb

Of course

Top 1,000 (very common)

That figures

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

Most common: Of course

	Naturally	Of course	That figures
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈnætʃrəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈnætʃrəli/"]/	🇬🇧 //əv kɔːs// 🇺🇸 //əv kɔrs//	🇬🇧 //ðæt ˈfɪɡəz// 🇺🇸 //ðæt ˈfɪɡərz//
Meaning	in a way that is normal or expected	Definitely, it's obvious.	That makes sense.
Example	She speaks naturally in front of the camera.	Are you joining us for dinner tonight? Of course!	When I heard about the delay, I thought, 'That figures.'
Register	Neutral	Neutral	Informal
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B1	-	-
Part of speech	adverb
Collocations	naturally talented, naturally occurring, naturally beautiful	of course not, of course yes, of course you can, of course it is	that makes sense, it figures, that adds up, of course, that is typical
Antonyms	unnaturally, artificially	-	-
Common mistakes	Used incorrectly as an adjective instead of an adverb., Confused with 'natural' when describing things., Overused in casual conversations where it's unnecessary.	Using it in formal writing where a different expression is needed., Confusing it with other affirmations like 'certainly' or 'definitely'.	Using it in formal writing or speeches., Confusing it with 'that doesn't figure', which means something doesn't make sense., Overusing it in every situation when agreeing.
Usage notes	Use 'naturally' to indicate something happens without effort or as is typical. It's generally appropriate in both spoken and written language, but avoid in very formal contexts.	Used in informal and formal situations to affirm something obvious. Avoid in highly formal writing.	Use this phrase in casual conversations to indicate agreement or understanding. It’s informal, so avoid it in formal settings.

See it in real clips

Oh, well, I would, naturally.

Stranger Things › S1 E1

STEVE: “Which polymers occur naturally?”

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

- So you woke up... - Naturally.

Oh, well, I would, naturally.

Stranger Things › S1 E1

STEVE: “Which polymers occur naturally?”

Naturally

Of course.

Agatha Christies Poirot › S1 E1

You know her, of course.

And, of course, I paid my respect to Bubba himself.

Of course.

Agatha Christies Poirot › S1 E1

You know her, of course.

Of course

they'd think, "Well, that figures."

That figures

Frequently asked questions: Naturally vs Of course vs That figures

What's the difference between Naturally, Of course, and That figures?

Naturally: in a way that is normal or expected Of course: Definitely, it's obvious. That figures: That makes sense.

Which is more common: Naturally, Of course, and That figures?

Of course is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Naturally: She speaks naturally in front of the camera. Of course: Are you joining us for dinner tonight? Of course! That figures: When I heard about the delay, I thought, 'That figures.'

Can I use Naturally, Of course, and That figures interchangeably?

Not always. Naturally, Of course, and That figures are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.