bright/brightly
bright = brightly (usually with the verbs burn and shine)
The sun shone bright all day.
brightly = in a cheerful manner
She answered all my questions brightly.
cheap/cheaply
cheap = cheaply, for a low price (especially after verbs buy, get, sell)
I bought this jacket cheap in a sale.
cheaply = without spending or costing much money
China can make textiles cheaply.
clean/cleanly
clean = completely
I clean forgot about the money he had lent me.
cleanly = in a clean way
Do your job as cleanly as possible.
clear/clearly
clear = not near or touching something
Stand clear of the door!
clearly = in a way that is easy to see, hear or understand
She explained the problem clearly.
dead/deadly
dead = completely, exactly
You're dead right!
daedly = extremely
I'm deadly serious.
dear/dearly
dear = at a high price
I got that bike cheap and later sold it dear.
dearly = very much
She loves her daughter dearly.
deep/deeply
deep = a long way down or into something
We had to dig deep to find the treasure.
deeply = very much
We deeply regret the inconvenience we have caused you.
direct/directly
direct = without stopping or changing direction
We flew direct to New York.
directly = in a direct line or manner
She was looking directly at me.
easy/easily
easy = in a relaxed way
Don't panic! Just take it easy.
easily = without problems or difficulty
He lifted the heavy bag easily.
fair/fairly
fair = according to the rules and honestly
To play fair is more important than to win at all costs.
fairly = to some extent but not very
The English test was fairly difficult.
fine/finely
fine = in an acceptable way
You're doing fine, just carry on.
finely = into very small pieces
For this recipe you need one big finely chopped onion.
firm/firmly
firm = not likely to change
I tried to make her change her mind, but she stayed firm.
firmly = in a strong or definite way
We made an agreement and shook hands firmly.
flat/flatly
flat = spread out in a level position against another surface
He fell flat on his face.
flatly = absolutely, completely, in a definte way
Dad flatly refused to lend me his car.
free/freely
free = without payment
You can eat free in our family restaurant.
freely = without limit or restriction
You can move freely around here.
full/fully
full = directly
She struck him full in the face.
fully = completely, entirely
I fully understand why he quit the job.
hard/hardly
hard = with great effort, energetically
I trained really hard for the marathon.
hardly = almost not
We hardly know each other.
just/justly
just = exactly
This is just the thing I need now.
justly = in accordance with justice
He was justly punished for his crimes.
late/lately
late = after the expected or usual time
I had to work late yesterday.
lately = recently
I haven't been to the cinema much lately.
pretty/prettily
pretty = quite, fairly, to some extent
The exam was pretty difficult.
prettily = in an attractive way
The little girl smiled prettily at the camera.
right/rightly
right = correctly, in the right way
You did it just right.
rightly = justifiably, for a good reason
Mr Gordon is rightly proud of his two daughters.
rough/roughly
rough = using force and/or violence
He was sent off the field for playing rough.
roughly = approximately, with bare essentials only
I've sketched the landscape roughly.
sharp/sharply
sharp = exactly (used with time)
Please call me at ten o'clock sharp.
sharply = suddenly and by a large amount
The prices fell sharply after Christmas.
short/shortly
short (go/run short of) = not to have enough of something
We've run short of coffee.
shortly = soon, in a short time
I'll be with you shortly.
strong/strongly
strong (going strong) = be healthy, active and/or successsful
Grandad is over eighty and still going strong.
strongly = to a high degree
I am strongly opposed to the idea.
wide/widely
wide = as fully as possible
Please open your mouth wide.
widely = by a lot of people
His articles are widely read.
There are also words which end in -ly but are adjectives only, e.g. friendly, lonely, lovely, costly, cowardly, unlikely, and words ending in -ly which are both adjectives and adverbs, e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, early, leisurely. This might be a good topic for another article...
