Common Mistakes : Yearly

Yearly – Adj

BAD: More houses are built yearly

GOOD: More houses are built every year

BAD: Thousands of people die from cancer yearly

GOOD: Thousands of people die from cancer every year

Yearly usually means that something is done or takes place once a year: ‘The interest is paid yearly or, if you prefer, every six months.’ ‘The front of the house was getting its yearly coat of white paint

Yearly is also used to connect a total number or amount with a period of one year: ‘We were manufacturing and selling about 20,000 tonnes yearly.’ ‘The yearly catch rose to a peak of 52,000 tonnes

When you simply want to say that something happens ‘all the time’, use every year or each year (NOT yearly ): ‘The country’s tourist industry is growing every year