Specially or especially?

Many people wonder if there is a difference between the adverbs "specially" and "especially". Even native speakers aren't always sure how to use them. In some cases they can actually mean the same thing, especially in informal speech. However, for the sake of simplicity, here are the basic differences between the two words.

许多人都想知道 specially 和 especially 这两个副词间究竟有没有区别，就连英美国家的人也经常不知道如何使用它们。在一些情况下，它们的含义实际上是一样的，尤其是在非正式的场合下。但是，为了简单起见，我们在此列举一下这两个单词间的基本差别。

specially:

for a particular purpose

为了一个特别的目的

eg: I made this cake specially for Mary.

例：我特地为Mary做了这个蛋糕。

especially:

1. particularly, above all

尤其，最重要的是

eg: I hate my teachers, especially Mr Cain.

例：我讨厌我的老师，尤其是Cain先生。

2. very

很，非常

eg: That was an especially good meal.

例：那顿饭非常美味。