What's the difference between actually and in fact?

[Daisy]

Dear Alan:
I met a sentence which goes like this:
The experts still have a long way to go to explore new sources of energy. In fact, they have to work even harder.
I wonder if the word actually can replace in fact in the previous. If not, what's their difference? Thanks.

[Mister Micawber]

.
Hi Daisy-- welcome to English-test.net!

Yes, both words seem to work in that sentence. The meanings are certainly the same, but in fact has a formality about it that actually lacks, and the former would probably be used more in serious writing.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Sidle Jinks]

Hello!

According to my dictionary, actually and in fact are synonyms, but in addition actually may mean:
- now, nowadays, at present (Actually, let's just read this little bit where you've made them bump into each other);
- something like strangely enough, strange though (it may seem) (No, I'm not a student. I'm a doctor, actually)

Hope this will help.
Good luck!
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Factum non fabula

[Conchita]

Is the adverb 'actually' really used to mean 'at present' or 'nowadays'? I was taught that it is a false cognate for 'actuellement/actualmente' (Fr/Sp), which have to be translated as nowadays, at present.

[Alan]

Hi Conchita,

No, not really. Actually means practically nothing at all except things like:

as a matter of fact/in point of fact/to tell the truth/in a manner of speaking/you might say/to be frank/to be perfectly honest/without beating about the bush/I can't tell a lie/to come to the point/I must admit/I can't deny/if you must know/since you ask/making no secret of it/in all honesty/not to put too fine a point on it/calling a spade a spade/all joking aside/without pulling any punches/let's face it and so on and so on or as my good friend, Mr Shakespeare puts it: full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Jamie (K)]

[Conchita]