Continually and continuously

The clouds are continually changing shape.

The difference between continually and continuously

In informal conversation, continually and continuously are used interchangeably, but they are subtly different in meaning.

continually

Continually means either always going on, or recurring at short intervals and never coming to an end.

He is continually biting his nails.

continuously

Continuously means ongoing action with no breaks.

He cried continuously throughout the show.
The baby cried continuously while her mother was away.

Learn more

Register for my online Business Writing course to learn about 99 other commonly confused words.

Subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter to receive writing and grammar tips.