Annually vs. annualy is a common English spelling confusion. If you are wondering whether annually or annualy is correct, the answer is simple: annually is the correct spelling. Annualy is a misspelling.
The word annually is an adverb that means “once every year” or “each year.” It is commonly used when talking about events, payments, reports, meetings, reviews, and other things that happen every year.
Quick Answer: Annually or Annualy?
Annually is the correct spelling.
Annualy is incorrect because it leaves out one l from the word annual before adding the adverb ending -ly.
| Spelling | Correct? | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| annually | ✅ Yes | Every year; once a year |
| annualy | ❌ No | Incorrect spelling |
Correct example
The company publishes its financial report annually.
Incorrect example
The company publishes its financial report annualy.
Remember: annual + ly = annually.
What Does Annually Mean?
Annually means every year or once each year.
It describes something that happens regularly on a yearly basis. For example, a company may hold an annual meeting, a person may pay a bill annually, or an organization may publish an annual report.
Consider these examples:
- The conference is held annually.
- We review our budget annually.
- The membership fee is paid annually.
- The school organizes a sports event annually.
- Employees receive an annual performance review.
In each sentence, annually tells us that something happens once every year.
Why Is Annually Spelled With Two Ls?
The easiest way to understand the spelling is to look at the base word:
annual + ly = annually
The adjective annual already ends in -ual, followed by l. When -ly is added, the final l remains:
annual → annually
This gives the spelling:
a-n-n-u-a-l-l-y
There are two consecutive Ls in the middle of annually.
That is why annualy is incorrect. It removes one of those letters.
Annual + ly
Break the word into two parts:
- annual = yearly
- -ly = forms an adverb
Therefore:
annual + ly → annually
This pattern can make the spelling much easier to remember.
How Do You Spell Annually?
The correct spelling is:
A-N-N-U-A-L-L-Y
The word contains two Ls together before the final Y.
A useful way to break it down is:
an + nu + al + ly
Or simply remember:
Annual has one L at the end, and adding -ly gives annually with two Ls together.
The incorrect form annualy has only one L before the final Y.
What Does Annual Mean?
Annual is an adjective that means happening once every year or relating to a year.
Examples include:
- annual meeting
- annual report
- annual salary
- annual event
- annual subscription
- annual review
- annual fee
For example:
The company holds an annual meeting in December.
When you change annual into the adverb annually, you are describing how often something happens:
The company meets annually.
The two words are closely related, but they have different grammatical roles.
Annually vs. Annual: What Is the Difference?
Annual and annually both relate to something that happens every year, but they are used differently.
Annual is an adjective, while annually is an adverb.
Compare these sentences:
We have an annual meeting.
Here, annual describes the noun meeting.
We meet annually.
In this sentence, annually describes how often the action happens.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| annual | Adjective | Happening every year | We have an annual meeting. |
| annually | Adverb | Every year | We meet annually. |
This distinction is useful because annualy is not an alternative form of annual or annually. It is simply a misspelling.
Is Annualy a Correct Word?
No. Annualy is not the standard English spelling.
If you mean “every year” or “once a year,” use annually.
For example:
The festival takes place annually.
Not:
The festival takes place annualy.
The misspelling usually occurs because writers remember annual and then add -y without noticing that the resulting word needs two consecutive L letters.
Common Phrases With Annually
You will often see annually in formal, business, academic, financial, and everyday writing.
Some common phrases include:
Paid annually
The membership fee is paid annually.
Updated annually
The information is updated annually.
Reviewed annually
Employees’ performance is reviewed annually.
Published annually
The report is published annually.
Held annually
The event is held annually.
Occurs annually
The celebration occurs annually.
Renewed annually
The subscription is renewed annually.
These phrases are especially common in business and professional writing.
Annually vs. Annualy in a Sentence
The correct spelling is always annually when you need an adverb meaning “every year.”
Correct examples
The company publishes its report annually.
We renew the contract annually.
The school holds the competition annually.
The organization reviews its policies annually.
The fee is charged annually.
The magazine is published annually.
Incorrect examples
The company publishes its report annualy.
We renew the contract annualy.
The school holds the competition annualy.
The problem in each incorrect sentence is the spelling, not the meaning.
How Do You Remember the Spelling of Annually?
A simple memory trick is:
Annual has an L, and adding -ly gives you two Ls: annually.
Think of the word as:
ANNUAL + LY = ANNUALLY
You can also remember the ending:
-LLY
The correct word ends in -lly, not -ly.
So:
annually ✅
annualy ❌
Another helpful connection is the related word annually and the phrase annual year. Both begin with annual, so keep the original spelling intact before adding -ly.
Why Do People Spell Annually as Annualy?
The most common reason is that people naturally pronounce annually as a single flowing word. The two consecutive L letters are not always obvious when the word is spoken.
The spelling can also look unusual because English contains many words where adding -ly does not create a double consonant that is immediately noticeable.
Since annual already ends in l, writers may incorrectly assume that only one l is needed before y.
However, the spelling is straightforward:
annual + ly = annually
Keeping the base word annual intact helps prevent the mistake.
Annually or Annualy in American English
In American English, annually is the standard and correct spelling.
There is no standard American English variation annualy. If you are writing an email, report, article, application, school assignment, or business document, use annually.
For example:
The company conducts an internal audit annually.
This spelling is also standard in other major forms of English.
Annually vs. Yearly: Are They the Same?
In many situations, annually and yearly have the same basic meaning: every year.
For example:
The event happens annually.
and
The event happens yearly.
Both sentences communicate that the event happens each year.
However, annually can sound more formal or professional. It frequently appears in business, finance, education, government, and official documents.
For example:
The company reviews its policies annually.
In casual conversation, someone might simply say:
We do it every year.
All three expressions can communicate a similar idea.
Quick Comparison: Annually vs. Annualy
| Feature | Annually | Annualy |
|---|---|---|
| Correct spelling | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Part of speech | Adverb | Not a standard word |
| Meaning | Every year | None as a standard English word |
| Example | The event occurs annually. | The event occurs annualy. ❌ |
| Double L | Yes | No |
| American English | Standard | Incorrect |
The key difference is simple: annually has two consecutive L letters.
FAQs About Annually vs. Annualy
Is annually or annualy correct?
Annually is correct. Annualy is a misspelling. Use annually when you mean “every year” or “once a year.”
How do you spell annually correctly?
Spell it A-N-N-U-A-L-L-Y. The word contains two L letters together before the final Y.
What does annually mean?
Annually means every year or once each year. For example, “The company publishes its report annually” means the report is published once every year.
Why is annualy wrong?
Annualy is wrong because it leaves out one L. The correct formation is annual + ly = annually.
Is annually an adjective or an adverb?
Annually is an adverb. It describes an action that happens every year. For example, “The company meets annually.”
What is the difference between annual and annually?
Annual is an adjective meaning “happening every year,” while annually is an adverb meaning “every year.” For example, “an annual meeting” and “meet annually.”
Conclusion
When choosing between annually vs. annualy, always use annually. It is the correct English spelling for an adverb meaning every year or once a year.
The easiest way to remember it is to start with annual and add -ly:
annual + ly = annually
Because annual ends in l, the correct spelling contains two consecutive L letters:
annually ✅
annualy ❌
Whether you are writing about a yearly payment, business report, school event, subscription, meeting, or review, annually is the correct choice.
