“Continually” and “continuously” are two words I never can keep straight. I always have to revisit their definitions and rules of usage. Because of that, I’ve decided to write a Write Right post about the two words if only so that I’ll have a resource in the future.
“Continually” means “constantly recurring.” It’s the leaky faucet that keeps one awake at night. Why? The water hitting the sink isn’t steady; it occurs “continually” throughout the night. Drip, drip, drip. The water plunks against metal and and deafens at two in the morning. The only recourse: repair the leaky faucet. At once.
“Continuously” means “unceasing.” If the leaky faucet “continuously” leaks, one has a larger problem than the drip, drip, dripping of water hitting the sink at two a.m. One now has an ever-increasing water bill. If the sink is stopped up for whatever reason, it might overflow. Again, the only recourse is to repair the leaky faucet.
How do you keep the two words straight? Have a question for Write Right? Let me know in a comment or on the Facebook page.