especially - particularly

Question

What's the difference between especially and particularly (if there is one)?Can I use both of them at the beginning of a sentence? How do I use them idiomatically correct?

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

Very close.

Check the synonyms area here:
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/special
This is a good dictionary for such comparisons, try to use it.

Still, you get better details from the paid version of the dictionary:
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synonyms ESPECIAL, SPECIFIC, PARTICULAR, INDIVIDUAL:

special indicates the possessing of a quality, character, or identity of one's own, perhaps one out of the ordinary or conspicuously unusual <a special diet for these cases> <special fatigue duty> <the women never drink in this manner, which is absolutely special to men -- J.G.Frazer> <land that has special charm or outstanding beauty -- S.P.B.Mais> <it's not like ordinary photographs. There's something special about it -- Arnold Bennett>

ESPECIAL may add implications of preeminence or preference <Gettysburg is of especial interest because of the famous battle -- American Guide Series: Pennsylvania> <not one of his especial chums -- Samuel Butler died 1902>

PARTICULAR, often interchangeable with SPECIFIC, may differ from it in increasing suggestions of individual distinctness and decreasing those of membership in a group <more than three years in the South were a happy experience and a liberalizing education for this particular northern boy -- E.J.Benton> <any particular remark of a psychologist, if true, is unlikely to be startling -- I.A.Richards> <a sense for particular beauties of nature, rather than a sense for Nature herself -- Laurence Binyon>

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Tung Quoc · Answer

Hi,

IMO, particularly means especially, more than sth or sb.

I don't write especially at the beginning of the sentence (I especially like Cokes), but I do that for particularly. (Particularly I like Cokes).

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Q

Anonymous · Answer

0 That's a clear enough explanation of 01i00especial02i00 and 01i00particular02i00 but it is hedging the original question which is particularly about 01i00especially02i00 and 01i00particularly02i00. Can you make direct comments about these two words and differentiate between them succintly?0-

especially - particularly

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