Cool MateEnough vs Sufficiently
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Enough
Sufficiently
| Enough | Sufficiently | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪˈnʌf/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪˈnʌf/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/səˈfɪʃntli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səˈfɪʃntli/"]/ |
| Meaning | sufficient or adequate amount | enough; to a degree that is acceptable |
| Example | Have you made enough copies? | The following day she felt sufficiently well to go to work. |
| Register | Neutral | Formal |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | determiner | adverb |
| Collocations | enough time, enough space, enough money, enough information, good enough | sufficiently clear, sufficiently large, sufficiently qualified |
| Antonyms | not enough, insufficient, inadequate | insufficiently, inadequately |
| Common mistakes | Using 'enough' before verbs (e.g., 'enough eat') instead of after (e.g., 'eat enough'), Confusing 'enough' with 'too' (e.g., 'too much' means excessive), Incorrectly placing 'enough' in the sentence (e.g., 'I have money enough' instead of 'I have enough money') | Confusing with 'sufficient', which is an adjective., Using in informal settings where simpler terms like 'enough' are more appropriate., Misplacing in sentences, leading to awkward constructions. |
| Usage notes | Use 'enough' to indicate that something is adequate. Avoid in overly formal writing. 'Enough' can modify nouns or adjectives. | Often used in formal contexts, such as academic writing or official reports. It might not be appropriate for casual conversations. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Enough vs Sufficiently
What's the difference between Enough and Sufficiently?
Enough: sufficient or adequate amount Sufficiently: enough; to a degree that is acceptable
Which is more formal: Enough and Sufficiently?
Sufficiently is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Enough and Sufficiently?
Enough is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Enough and Sufficiently?
Sufficiently is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Are Enough and Sufficiently the same CEFR level?
Enough: A1, Sufficiently: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Enough and Sufficiently?
Enough: determiner, Sufficiently: adverb.
Can you show an example of each?
Enough: Have you made enough copies? Sufficiently: The following day she felt sufficiently well to go to work.
Can I use Enough and Sufficiently interchangeably?
Not always. Enough and Sufficiently 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.