I was scouring the internet looking for information on usually vs typically and I was surprised to find none. In fact the only real solid answer floating out there is one I had provided. People were earnestly asking and I felt sincerely that other resources has failed the questions. This therefor seems like a topic worthy of a short blog post.

When I am editing, I do make a very slight distinction between ‘Usually’ and ‘Typically.’

The Difference Between Usually and Typically

‘Usually‘ has an individual, habitual connotation to it. For example, you can say that someone “usually can be seen waiting for the bus on Fridays” because it has been personally observed. But ‘Typically‘ literally means a TYPE, such as scientific ‘typing’ that can be applied to an entire species or occupation. For example, “Restaurant managers typically come in early.”

To answer the question in a formulaic way, if you, the author, could apply a description to a ‘type’ then use ‘typically.’ Otherwise, use ‘usually.’ One final way to look at this is that by describing someone’s behavior as ‘typical’ you are making a judgement call. You are unintentionally commenting that the behavior of something is of its habit or of its type. Although it is possible to say that a single person typically does a behavior, it is mildly like saying they are a subject of research as a species rather than an actual person. However, this distinction is small, and most are not going to notice or mind either way, especially if it shows up in a line of dialogue.

The only other difference I can think of is that you can expect someone to say “How typical of you” but you most would not say say “How usual of you.”  I’ll leave you to think about and speculate on why that is.

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