specially difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "specially difficult" is not correct; the correct form is "especially difficult." You can use "especially difficult" to emphasize that something is more challenging than usual or compared to other things.
Example: "The exam was especially difficult this year, leaving many students feeling overwhelmed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

'I have been difficult,' he says mischievously, 'but I don't feel specially difficult today.' He laughs his special, slow and knowing sort of huh-huh-huh laugh that is to punctuate the rest of the afternoon.

The Guardian - Books

The first year of architectural education is specially difficult because, students directly start to architectural education after high school without any opinion about architecture.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

An additional stage that performs an octave test and a fifth test has been included that improves the error rate in the detection of these intervals that are specially difficult to detect.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The problem is specially difficult in high dimensional spaces, where the "curse of dimensionality" forces the volume of the bounding ellipsoid to be much larger than the volume of the nonconvex bounded object of interest.

BMC Systems Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

This goal is specially more difficult in real-time applications in outdoor scenes, which present a challenge due to the variant illumination and atmospheric conditions such as clear, hazy, or cloudy days.

IPSJ Transactions on Computer Vision and Applications

Identification of existing instability modes from experimental pressure measurements of rocket engines is difficult, specially when steep waves are present.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

The search for vascular substitutes has proven to be difficult, specially when considering small diameter grafts.

BioMed Research International

Because of this, specific etiologic diagnosis may be difficult specially in areas where two or more flaviviruses are prevalent [ 3].

BioMed Research International

Firstly, none of the ten studies assessed all the psychometric properties, making comparisons difficult specially regarding face and content validity, acceptability, interpretability and reliability.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Therefore, [F]FDG-PET/CT should be considered in challenging cases when the diagnosis is difficult, specially in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia [ 12, 13].

BMC Pediatrics

Achievement of these characteristics for a plant extract is very difficult specially the sterility, particle size, and proper use in animals.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "especially difficult" instead of "specially difficult" to adhere to standard English grammar. "Especially" correctly conveys a higher degree of difficulty.

Common error

Avoid using "specially" when you mean "especially". "Specially" means 'for a specific purpose', while "especially" means 'particularly' or 'to a great extent'. So, use "especially" to describe something that is particularly difficult.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "specially difficult" is intended to function as a modifier, describing something that presents a high degree of challenge. However, the correct adberb is "especially". As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "especially difficult."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "specially difficult" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "especially difficult". "Specially" means 'for a specific purpose', while "especially" means 'particularly'. Ludwig AI notes the grammatical error. Although present in a limited number of sources, primarily scientific and news media, its infrequent usage and grammatical incorrectness suggest favoring the standard form, "especially difficult". Alternative phrases like "particularly challenging" can also effectively convey the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

especially challenging

Uses "especially" instead of "specially" to indicate a higher degree of difficulty.

particularly challenging

Replaces "specially" with "particularly", focusing on the level of challenge.

uniquely challenging

Emphasizes the distinct nature of the difficulty.

distinctively tough

Highlights the noticeable degree of toughness.

notably demanding

Indicates that the difficulty is significant and worth noting.

remarkably complex

Focuses on the complexity that makes it difficult.

exceptionally arduous

Emphasizes the demanding and strenuous nature of the task.

singularly problematic

Highlights the unique and troublesome nature of the difficulty.

extraordinarily trying

Focuses on the extremely testing nature of the situation.

uncommonly burdensome

Highlights the unusually heavy and oppressive aspect of the difficulty.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "specially difficult"?

No, the correct phrase is "especially difficult". "Specially" refers to something designed for a specific purpose, while "especially" means 'particularly'.

What does "especially difficult" mean?

The phrase "especially difficult" is used to emphasize that something is more challenging than usual or in comparison to other things. It signifies a higher degree of difficulty.

What are some alternatives to "specially difficult"?

You can use alternatives such as "particularly challenging", "uniquely challenging", or "notably demanding" to convey a similar meaning.

How do I use "especially difficult" in a sentence?

Here's an example: "The exam was "especially difficult" this year, leaving many students feeling overwhelmed."