May Be vs Maybe | Examples, Difference & Meaning
Maybe (one word) and may be (two words) are not interchangeable, but they are easily confused because they both express possibility or uncertainty.
- Maybe is an adverb meaning “perhaps.” If you substitute “maybe” with “perhaps,” your sentence will still make sense.
- May be is the modal verb “may” followed by the main or auxiliary verb “be.” If you substitute “may be” with “might be,” your sentence will still make sense.
| May be in a sentence | Maybe in a sentence |
|---|---|
| I may be late this evening. | There’s a lot of traffic, so maybe I’ll be late. |
| She may be coming later. | Maybe she’ll come later. |
| Yes, I think you may be correct! | Yes, I think maybe you’re correct! |
Maybe definition
Maybe is an adverb meaning “perhaps” or “possibly.” It is often used in everyday speech to express uncertainty or suggest possibilities.
Shall we catch a movie later maybe?
Person A: Do you want a donut?
Person B: No thanks. Maybe later though.
Maybe is also sometimes used as a noun to refer to someone who has not fully committed to something or to mean an “uncertainty.”
Person B: I’m not sure if I can.
Person A: OK, I’ll put you down as a maybe then.
The plan is too risky because it depends on so many maybes.
- But maybe he doesn’t like chocolate.
- But perhaps he doesn’t like chocolate. [Sentence makes sense with “perhaps”; “maybe” is correct]
- He maybe allergic to chocolate.
- He perhaps allergic to chocolate. [Sentence doesn’t make sense with “perhaps”; you probably mean “may be”]
- He may be allergic to chocolate.
May be meaning
May be is the modal verb “may” followed by the verb “be,” so it is not interchangeable with “maybe” (one word).
We use “may” in combination with other verbs to express possibility or uncertainty, frequently with the verb “be.” For instance, adding “may” to “That is correct” changes it to “That may be correct” (“is” is a form of the verb “be”).
Sometimes the “be” in “may be” is the auxiliary verb we need to form the verb tense. For instance, the sentence “He is coming to the party” uses the present progressive tense, and “is” is the form of the auxiliary verb “be” that we need to form this tense. If we add “may” to this sentence, then this changes it to “He may be coming to the party.”
She may be the person in charge; I’ll ask her.
He said they may be leaving after lunch.
Frequently asked questions about may be vs maybe
- What is a synonym for maybe?
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Synonyms for maybe include:
- Perhaps
- Possibly
- Potentially
- Conceivably
“Maybe” can also mean “approximately” (e.g., “It’ll cost maybe 100 dollars”) or “sometimes” (e.g., “The monsoon lasts for three maybe four months”).
It’s important to note the difference between may be vs maybe as they can’t be used interchangeably. “May be” (two words) is the modal verb “may” followed by the verb “be.”
Use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help you find the best synonym for “maybe” in your specific context.
- How do you spell maybe?
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The adverb “maybe” is spelled as one word.
It’s important to note the difference between may be vs maybe as they can’t be used interchangeably. “May be” (two words) is the modal verb “may” followed by the verb “be.”
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you use “maybe” and “may be” correctly in your writing.
- Is mabye a word?
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“Mabye” is a common typo (misspelling) of the adverb “maybe.” It is not a word.
It’s important to note the difference between may be vs maybe as they can’t be used interchangeably. “May be” (two words) is the modal verb “may” followed by the verb “be.”
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you pick up typos in your writing.
- What does maybe mean?
-
The adverb maybe (one word) means “perhaps.”
It’s important to note the difference between may be vs maybe as they can’t be used interchangeably. “May be” (two words) is the modal verb “may” followed by the verb “be.”
“Maybe” is also sometimes used as a noun to refer to someone who has not fully committed to something or to mean an “uncertainty.”
Maybe used as a noun examples Person A: Are you coming to the presentation on Monday?
Person B: I’m not sure; you can put me down as a maybe.We can’t make such an important decision on the basis of so many maybes.
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you use “maybe” and “may be” correctly in your writing.
