Tim was one of those people who always tried to sound smarter than he actually was. One day, while chatting with his professor, he decided to show off his English skills. “I talk fastly!” he declared, feeling quite pleased with himself. His professor smiled—a knowing, gentle smile—and said, “Ah, Tim, not quite. You don’t need that ‘-ly’ there. ‘Fast’ works just fine.”
Tim was confused. “Wait, but isn’t ‘fast’ an adjective? How can it work as an adverb too?”
His professor chuckled. “You see, Tim, some words are special. They don’t need to change. Whether they’re describing a noun or modifying a verb, they stay the same.”
Now, Tim wasn’t sure if he was impressed by the magic of the English language or just frustrated. But that day, he learned that some words could wear two hats at once—being both adjectives and adverbs.
If, like Tim, you’ve ever been tripped up by these sneaky double-duty words, don’t worry—you’re not alone! Let’s take a closer look at some of these words so you can use them confidently and avoid any “fastly” moments of your own.
Why Some Words Play Double Duty
In English, certain words can function both as adjectives (describing nouns) and adverbs (modifying verbs), without any change in their form. These words are efficient—they pack two roles into one simple form.
Here’s a comprehensive list of words that look the same whether they are adjectives or adverbs:
Comprehensive List of Words That Are Both Adjectives and Adverbs:
- Close
- Adjective: We live close to the park.
- Adverb: The exam date is close.
- Daily
- Adjective: He reads the daily news.
- Adverb: She checks her emails daily.
- Early
- Adjective: They caught the early train.
- Adverb: He arrived early for the interview.
- Fair
- Adjective: It was a fair match.
- Adverb: He played fair.
- Far
- Adjective: The nearest gas station is far away.
- Adverb: He ran far beyond his limits.
- Fast
- Adjective: She bought a fast car.
- Adverb: The horse galloped fast.
- Free
- Adjective: The coffee is free.
- Adverb: They speak free of constraints.
- Hard
- Adjective: It was a hard decision.
- Adverb: He worked hard on the project.
- High
- Adjective: They climbed a high mountain.
- Adverb: The balloon floated high in the sky.
- Late
- Adjective: The meeting started late.
- Adverb: He arrived late for dinner.
- Like
- Adjective: They are very like each other.
- Adverb: He acts like a leader.
- Likely
- Adjective: It is a likely scenario.
- Adverb: He will likely attend the event.
- Live
- Adjective: This is a live performance.
- Adverb: The band performed live.
- Long
- Adjective: The journey was long.
- Adverb: She waited long for the results.
- Low
- Adjective: The stock prices are low.
- Adverb: The plane flew low.
- Right
- Adjective: That is the right answer.
- Adverb: Turn right at the stop sign.
- Wide
- Adjective: The field is wide.
- Adverb: She opened her arms wide.
- Wrong
- Adjective: The answer is wrong.
- Adverb: He guessed wrong in the quiz.
- Straight
- Adjective: She has straight hair.
- Adverb: Go straight down the road.
- Pretty
- Adjective: It’s a pretty flower.
- Adverb: He handled the situation pretty well.
- Quick
- Adjective: She is a quick thinker.
- Adverb: He reacted quick to the emergency.
- Tight
- Adjective: The lid is on tight.
- Adverb: Hold the rope tight.
- Sharp
- Adjective: That’s a sharp knife.
- Adverb: The car turned sharp around the corner.
- Slow
- Adjective: The internet connection is slow.
- Adverb: He drove slow through the town.
- Clean
- Adjective: That was a clean hit.
- Adverb: The athlete won clean.
- Deep
- Adjective: That’s a deep lake.
- Adverb: He dug deep into his pockets.
- Loud
- Adjective: The music is loud.
- Adverb: She spoke loud to get attention.
- Farther
- Adjective: The second station is farther.
- Adverb: He ran farther than expected.
- Wide
- Adjective: The road is wide.
- Adverb: The door opened wide.
- Even
- Adjective: The ground is even.
- Adverb: He didn’t even try.
- Short
- Adjective: He has short hair.
- Adverb: The meeting was cut short.
- Flat
- Adjective: This tire is flat.
- Adverb: She fell flat on her face.
Conclusion: Don’t Be Like Tim!
As you can see, some words in English like to multitask—they don’t bother with changes in form whether they’re adjectives or adverbs. While it’s great for efficiency, it can be confusing for learners, just like it was for Tim. But now, you’re equipped to handle these tricky words with confidence. Whether you’re speaking fast or arriving early, you’ll never get caught off guard by words that pull double duty.
Happy learning—and don’t forget, sometimes words are simpler than they seem!