Almost and mostly look similar, but they answer different questions.
- Almost means nearly. It is close to something, but not there yet.
- Mostly means for the most part or usually. It is about most of something.
Almost: nearly there
Almost means close to a time, a number or a state, but not quite.
It is almost ten o'clock.
Leo is almost as tall as his dad.
The glass is almost full.
We almost missed the bus.
If you say almost finished, the job is very close to done, but it is not done.
Mostly: for the most part
Mostly tells you what is true in most cases, or what the main part of something is.
The team is mostly new players this year.
It was mostly sunny today.
The bag is mostly full of books.
I mostly walk to school.
If you say mostly finished, a big part is done, but some parts are still left.
Easy way to tell them apart
Ask: am I talking about how close, or how much?
- How close? Use almost. (almost there, almost ten)
- How much, or how often? Use mostly. (mostly sunny, mostly blue)
It is almost summer. (Summer is coming soon.)
It is mostly sunny. (Most of the time or place is sunny.)
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Imagine a race.
- Almost: the runner is nearly at the finish line. One more step.
- Mostly: the runner is on a track that is mostly red. Most of the colour is red.
Almost is about the finish. Mostly is about the mix.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Almost goes with "all" and "everyone".
❌ Mostly everyone came.
✅ Almost everyone came.
Use "most" before a plain group.
❌ Almost people like pizza.
❌ Mostly people like pizza.
✅ Most people like pizza.
✅ Almost all people like pizza.
Do not use mostly with numbers or times.
❌ It is mostly ten o'clock.
✅ It is almost ten o'clock.
📌 Good to know
- Almost all and most are close in meaning: almost all of us is a bit bigger than most of us.
- Mostly is also good for a mix of things: The garden is mostly roses.
- Nearly is a close friend of almost. You can usually swap them: nearly ten, almost ten.
💬 In a conversation
Sam: Is the homework finished?
Mia: It's almost finished.
Sam: Almost, or mostly?
Mia: Mostly almost. I only need to draw a cat.