evenly
gb/ˈivənli/ us/ˈivənli/
B1
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
relation
1
in equal parts or amounts
In a way that gives the same amount or size to each part or person.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] [something] evenly
Common mistake:
Learners often use "equal" instead of "evenly" in sentences like *"We shared the money equal"*. The correct form is *"We shared the money evenly"* (use the adverb, not the adjective). They may also choose "same" instead of "evenly", which sounds unnatural in this context.
Synonyms
equally (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and general, while "evenly" often suggests careful or exact equal division.)
|
uniformly (More formal or technical; often used for scientific or mathematical descriptions of equal distribution.)
Antonyms
unevenly (Direct opposite, showing that parts or amounts are not the same size or not fairly shared.)
|
unequally (Focuses on the unfair or unequal size of the shares, especially between people or groups.)
Collocations
divide evenly
|split evenly
|share evenly
|spread evenly
|distribute evenly
|line up evenly
Themes
daily life
|math
|cooking
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The teacher divided the cake evenly among the students.
- Make sure the paint is spread evenly over the wall.
- The money was not shared evenly within the team.
- Plant the seeds evenly across the soil surface.
- Arrange the chairs evenly along the back wall.
Learner examples
- She cut the pizza evenly into eight pieces.
- We shared the food evenly so everyone got the same amount.
- Spread the butter evenly on the bread.
- The desks are placed evenly in the classroom.
- He split the bill evenly with his friend.
adverb
B2
property
2
in a calm, steady way
In a calm and steady way, without showing strong feelings or big changes.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] evenly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "even" instead of "evenly" before verbs, saying *"He breathe even"* instead of *"He breathed evenly"*. Others may confuse this sense with "fairly" or "equally" and say *"He spoke fairly"* when they mean his voice was calm and steady.
Synonyms
calmly (Highlights the lack of worry or anger; "evenly" adds a sense of steady control or smoothness.)
|
steadily (Emphasizes continuous, regular action; "evenly" often also suggests emotional balance.)
Antonyms
nervously (Shows worry and emotional tension, the opposite of the calm control in "evenly".)
|
erratically (Describes actions that change a lot and are not steady, the opposite of the regular, controlled feeling of "evenly".)
Collocations
breathe evenly
|speak evenly
|say evenly
|respond evenly
|beat evenly
Themes
emotions
|communication
|health
Examples
- She spoke evenly, hiding the anger in her voice.
- He breathed evenly, trying to relax before the exam.
- The doctor told her to walk evenly and not rush.
- Despite the bad news, he answered the questions evenly.
- The child's heartbeat returned to beating evenly after a few minutes.
Learner examples
- She spoke evenly during the interview.
- He tried to breathe evenly to stay calm.
- The teacher talked evenly and clearly to the class.
- He answered the hard question evenly, without fear.
- Her heart started to beat evenly again.
adverb
B2
property
3
in a smooth, level way
In a flat and smooth way, with no high or low parts and no rough places.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] [surface or layer] evenly
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the "fair" meaning and say *"The bread baked fairly"* when they mean it baked in a flat, regular way. They may also forget the adverb form and say *"Spread the cream even"* instead of *"Spread the cream evenly"*.
Synonyms
smoothly (Focuses on lack of roughness or sudden changes; "evenly" more strongly suggests level height or equal thickness.)
|
levelly (A more formal or rare word that, like "evenly", describes something being flat or at the same height.)
Antonyms
roughly (Describes a surface or action that is not smooth or careful, opposite to the neatness of "evenly".)
|
unevenly (Shows that a surface or layer has bumps, holes, or different heights, the direct opposite of "evenly" in this sense.)
Collocations
cut evenly
|bake evenly
|cook evenly
|lie evenly
|stack evenly
|spread evenly
Themes
physical_world
|crafts
|cooking
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Use a ruler to cut the edges evenly.
- The cookies didn't bake evenly because the oven is old.
- Spread the plaster evenly over the wall for a smooth finish.
- The tiles are not laid evenly, so the floor looks crooked.
- Stack the books evenly so they don't fall over.
Learner examples
- She cut the paper evenly with scissors.
- The bread did not bake evenly in the oven.
- Please spread the cream evenly on the cake.
- The table legs are not the same, so it does not stand evenly.
- He put the boxes evenly on the shelf.
adverb
C1
property
4
in a regular, consistent way
In a regular way that does not change suddenly over time or space.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] evenly over [time/space]
Common mistake:
Learners may use "regular" instead of the adverb and say *"The houses are regular spaced"* instead of *"evenly spaced"*. Some also confuse this sense with the simple "equal parts" sense and do not realize it can refer to patterns over time or distance, not only to sharing things.
Synonyms
uniformly (Common in technical or scientific contexts to describe regular distribution or change; very close to this sense of "evenly".)
|
consistently (Highlights that something keeps happening in the same way; "evenly" especially suggests equal spacing or equal steps.)
Antonyms
irregularly (Describes patterns with no clear order or equal spacing, the opposite of the regular pattern in "evenly".)
|
erratically (Emphasizes sudden, unpredictable changes, the opposite of the steady regularity of "evenly".)
Collocations
grow evenly
|increase evenly
|spread evenly over time
|rise evenly
|evenly distributed
|evenly spaced
Themes
business
|science
|statistics
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company’s profits have grown evenly over the past five years.
- The houses are evenly spaced along the street.
- Rainfall is not evenly distributed throughout the year.
- The lights were placed evenly around the room.
- The workload should be spread evenly across the week.
Learner examples
- Sales increased evenly during the year.
- The trees are evenly spaced in the park.
- We tried to spread the work evenly over the month.
- Traffic was moving evenly along the road.
- The tasks are not evenly distributed in the team.
adverb
technical
C1
relation
5
mathematically, with no remainder
In math, when one number can go into another number with no remainder.
Usage pattern:
to divide [number] evenly by [number]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "evenly" here means "fairly" or "without problems", not specifically "with no remainder" in a mathematical sense. They may also incorrectly say *"divide equal"* instead of *"divide evenly"* when talking about numbers.
Synonyms
exactly (Used in contexts like "divide exactly by"; a more general word that does not always imply a mathematical remainder, unlike "evenly" here.)
Antonyms
unevenly (Used less often in this technical way, but indicates that division does not result in equal whole-number parts.)
Collocations
evenly divisible
|divide evenly
|go evenly into
|divides evenly by
Themes
math
|education
|science
Examples
- Twelve is evenly divisible by three and four.
- Six does not divide evenly into twenty, because there is a remainder.
- We only consider numbers that can be split evenly into pairs.
- The prize money was chosen so it could be divided evenly among the winners.
- Check whether the total cost is evenly divisible by the number of people.
Learner examples
- Ten is evenly divisible by five.
- Nine does not divide evenly by four.
- The teacher asked which numbers are evenly divisible by two.
- We want a number that we can share evenly between three people.
- Six can go evenly into eighteen three times.
Grammar
Dictionary form
evenly
IPA
GB/ˈivənli/
US/ˈivənli/
Syllables & stress
evenly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (evenly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: evenly
- Plural: evenlies
Word family
Expressions
breathe evenly
1/bɹˈið ˈivənli/
fixed phrase
to breathe in a calm, steady way
To take air in and out of your lungs in a calm, regular way, without fast or uneven breaths.
Examples
- She closed her eyes and tried to breathe evenly.
- After a few minutes, the baby was sleeping and breathing evenly.
cook evenly
1/kˈʊk ˈivənli/
fixed phrase
be cooked the same all over
To be cooked so that all parts are done to the same level, with no part too raw or too burned.
Examples
- Turn the pan so the vegetables cook evenly.
- A good oven helps the food cook evenly.
divide evenly
1/dɪvˈaɪd ˈivənli/
fixed phrase
separate into equal parts
To separate something, especially a number or amount, into equal parts, usually with nothing left over.
Examples
- The teacher asked if twelve can divide evenly by five.
- We need a number of seats that will divide evenly among the three groups.
evenly balanced
1/ˈivənli bˈælənst/
fixed phrase
having parts in equal balance
Used when different parts, sides, or groups are about the same in size, weight, or importance.
Examples
- The committee is evenly balanced between men and women.
- His time is evenly balanced between work and family.
evenly distributed
1/ˈivənli dɪstɹˈɪbjətɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
spread in equal amounts
Spread so that every part or area gets about the same amount.
Examples
- Make sure the heat is evenly distributed throughout the oven.
- The population is not evenly distributed across the country.
evenly matched
1/ˈivənli mˈæt͡ʃt/
fixed phrase
having equal strength or skill
Used when two people or teams are about the same in strength, skill, or power.
Examples
- The two teams are evenly matched, so the game could go either way.
- The candidates are evenly matched in experience, but their styles are very different.
evenly spaced
1/ˈivənli spˈeɪst/
fixed phrase
placed at equal distances apart
Placed so that the space between each one is the same.
Examples
- Streetlights are evenly spaced along the road.
- The teacher asked the students to stand in a line, evenly spaced apart.