'especially' vs 'specially'

[tulipflower]

Can we say 'specially' is the spoken form of the 'especially'?

 

[jutfrank]

These are two different words with very different uses. Confusingly, they can sound very similar, even identical, in fast, fluent speech.

 

[Rover_KE]

See also the Similar Threads below.

 

[jutfrank]

There are contexts in which one is appropriate and the other is not... There are also times when there is no significant difference.

I don't think many people will worry, or even notice, if a learner makes what purists would consider to be the wrong choice.

When is there no significant difference?

This is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night.

 

[jutfrank]

Although both words make sense in the above example, the two words are rarely interchangeable. (I think only when they are followed with for...)

I fear that since the information in the link does not illustrate sufficiently the uses of especially, it is therefore potentially misleading and confusing. Of course the difference is down to "particular conventions of use"!