The word maybe is an adverb that means “perhaps” or “possibly.” “May be” is a verb phrase that sets a condition on how something might exist or occur.
- Alanna Madden
- January 18, 2021
- Grammar Tips
The word maybe is an adverb that means “perhaps” or “possibly.” “May be” is a verb phrase that sets a condition on how something might exist or occur.
English speakers use the expressions “maybe” and “may be” to convey possibility or uncertainty, but how we use them in a sentence winds up looking very different. The biggest difference between these commonly confused words is that “maybe” is a one-worded adverb while “may be” is a verb phrase consisting of two different words.
Similar cases occur between word pairs like “wellbeing vs. well-being,” “incase vs. in case,” or “cannot vs. can not.” But what sets “maybe vs. may be” apart from the rest is that “maybe” actually derives from a form of “may be.” That’s right.
According to Lexico, the adverb “maybe” is a compound word that derives from Late Middle English, “it may be (that).” Go figure, right?
The word maybe is primarily an adverb, meaning we use it to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs in a sentence. More specifically, English speakers use “maybe” to indicate uncertainty or possibility–– much like the way we use “perhaps.” For example,
You may even hear someone respond to a question with “maybe.” In this sense, “maybe” doesn’t mean no or yes–– It means “perhaps” or “possibly.” For example,
Speaker A: “Would you like to go shopping on Black Friday?”
Speaker B: “Maybe. It depends on how I feel.”
Additionally, we can use “maybe” as an informal noun to convey a literal ‘possibility’ or ‘probability.’ For example,
Assumably, conceivably, likely, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, presumably, probably, surely, supposedly.
The phrase “may be” exists as two separate words: “may” as a modal auxiliary verb and infinitive “be” as the main verb. Written separately, the verb “may” expresses possibility or doubt, whereas “be” conveys a ‘state of being.’
When combined, the phrase “may be” creates a conditional sentence involving something that ‘might’ or ‘could exist.’ For example:
Could be, might be.
Learning the difference between “maybe” and “may be” is fairly simple, but it helps to compare usage within published examples, too. Let’s take a look at how professional writers integrate the adverb and verb phrase into their writing.
To remember the difference between “maybe” and “may be,” try replacing either term with the word “perhaps.” If “maybe” and “perhaps” are interchangeable, then “maybe” is the correct word. For example,
“Maybe I’ll stay up to watch the stars.” vs. “Perhaps I’ll stay up to watch the stars.”
As shown above, we can switch out “maybe” and “perhaps” without tarnishing the sentence’s meaning. If “perhaps” is not a suitable replacement, “may be” is the correct phrase. For example,
“There may be a yellow-brick road.” ≠ “There perhaps a yellow-brick road.”
If you enjoy learning about English grammar, check out The Word Counter’s lessons on topics like:
Follow-up your lesson on “maybe” vs. “may be” with the following multiple-choice questions.
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