You’ve probably typed both “successfully” and “succesfully” at some point, and let’s be honest — they look almost the same. One tiny letter is all that separates them, and that’s exactly where the trouble starts.
Maybe your spellchecker flagged one of them. Or maybe you wrote “succesfully” in an important email and only noticed later. Don’t worry — this is one of the most common spelling mistakes in English, and today we’ll fix it for good.
First Things First: What Does “Successfully” Mean?
“Successfully” is the correct adverb form of the word “success.” It describes doing something in a way that achieves the result you wanted.
Successfully means doing something in a way that achieves the desired result.
It comes from “success” + “-ful” + “-ly.” The double “s” in the middle comes from “success” itself — and that is exactly the letter most people forget.
Where You See Successfully in Real Life
- Job applications: “She successfully completed the training program.”
- Business news: “The company successfully launched its new product.”
- School reports: “He successfully passed all his exams.”
- Everyday talk: “We successfully fixed the leaking pipe.”
Why Successfully Matters
- It is one of the most used adverbs in professional writing.
- Using the correct spelling builds trust in emails and reports.
- The wrong spelling can make a good CV look careless.
In short, “successfully” is the spelling the whole world expects to see.
Now, What Is “Succesfully”?
Here’s the honest truth: “succesfully” is not a real English word. It is simply a misspelling of “successfully” — with one “s” missing in the middle.
“Succesfully” is a common misspelling of “successfully” and is not accepted in standard English.
You will not find it in any serious dictionary. If you type it into a spellchecker, it will underline it in red every single time.
The Idea Behind Succesfully
- It comes from typing too fast and skipping a letter.
- The “ss” sound in the middle is easy to shorten by accident.
- Many learners write it the way it sounds, not the way it is spelled.
- Autocorrect on some phones does not always catch it.
Nobody uses “succesfully” on purpose — it is always an accident.
Real-Life Example
Imagine you are writing a job application:
- You write: “I succesfully managed a team of ten people.”
- The hiring manager sees the red underline — or worse, notices the mistake.
- Your strong experience suddenly looks less careful.
That one missing “s” can cost you a first impression.
Why People Confuse Successfully and Succesfully
The confusion is simple:
- “Success” already has a double “s,” but it is easy to forget when adding “-fully.”
- The two spellings sound exactly the same when spoken.
- Fast typing often drops one of the repeated letters.
- Many people never learned that “-fully” keeps the double “l” while “success” keeps the double “s.”
Successfully vs Succesfully: Side-by-Side Comparison
Here’s a clear breakdown to lock it in your mind:
| Feature | Successfully | Succesfully |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Correct English word | Common misspelling |
| Meaning | In a successful way | No meaning — not a real word |
| Usage | Formal and informal writing | Never correct in writing |
| Spelling | success + fully (double s, double l) | Missing one “s” in the middle |
| Context | Everywhere: work, school, news | Only in uncorrected drafts |
| Example | “She successfully passed the test.” | “She succesfully passed the test.” (wrong) |
How to Use “Successfully” Correctly
Use “successfully” when talking about:
- Completing a task with the result you wanted
- Passing tests, interviews, or challenges
- Launching or finishing projects
- Describing achievements on a CV
- Any action that ended well
Natural Examples
- “He successfully repaired the old computer.”
- “The students successfully finished the science project.”
- “They successfully opened a second shop in the city.”
If the action worked out well, “successfully” is the right word.
How to Use “Succesfully” Correctly
Here is the short answer: you never use “succesfully.” It is not a correct word in any situation.
- Do not use it in emails, essays, or messages.
- Do not use it on CVs or job applications.
- Always write “successfully” instead.
Natural Examples
There are no correct example sentences for “succesfully” because it is a mistake. Instead, here is how to fix it:
- Wrong: “She succesfully completed the course.” → Right: “She successfully completed the course.”
- Wrong: “We succesfully saved money.” → Right: “We successfully saved money.”
Every time you see “succesfully,” add the missing “s.”
A Simple Trick to Remember the Difference
Here’s an easy way to never get it wrong again:
- Think: “success” has TWO s’s in the middle — “succeSS.”
- “Fully” keeps both its l’s too — “fuLLy.”
- Put them together: succeSS + fuLLy = successfully.
If you can spell “success,” you can spell “successfully.”
Two double letters, zero confusion.
Where You Might See These Words Online
Successfully (Common Usage)
- News articles about business and sports
- Job listings and CVs
- School and university websites
- How-to guides and tutorials
- Motivational blogs and books
Succesfully (Incorrect Usage)
- Old forum posts from before spellcheckers were common
- Hasty social media comments
- Unedited first drafts of essays
- Text messages typed too quickly
If you see “succesfully” online, it is almost always a typo.
Interesting Fact You Probably Didn’t Know
The word “success” comes from the Latin “successus,” meaning “a good outcome.” It entered English in the 1500s, and for centuries people spelled many English words in different ways. Spelling only became fixed when printed dictionaries appeared.
Here is the fun part: “successfully” is one of the most misspelled words in English. Millions of people type “succesfully” every year — but now you know better.
Further reading: Successfully — Merriam-Webster | Succesfully — Cambridge Dictionary
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Let’s clear up a few typical errors:
❌ Writing “succesfully” in a job application
Wrong: “I succesfully led a sales team for two years.”
Right: “I successfully led a sales team for two years.”
❌ Dropping the double “s” in exams
Wrong: “The experiment was succesfully completed.”
Right: “The experiment was successfully completed.”
❌ Trusting autocorrect blindly
Wrong: “She succesfully defended her thesis.” (autocorrect missed it)
Right: “She successfully defended her thesis.”
When in doubt, sound it out: suc-CESS-ful-ly.
Which One Should You Use?
There is only one right answer here:
- Writing anything formal or important? → Successfully
- Texting a friend? → Still Successfully
- Correcting someone else’s spelling? → Successfully
There is no situation where “succesfully” is correct.
Final Thoughts
At a glance, “successfully” and “succesfully” look like twins. But only one of them is a real word — the other is just a very popular mistake.
Once you remember the trick — succeSS + fuLLy — the confusion disappears forever.
Next time you type it, just ask yourself:
“Did I write both double letters?”
That one question will always lead you to the right spelling.
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