这一对副词都同样"几乎不"、"几乎没有"的否定意味，但涵义重心有细微的差异。
Hardly强调"困难"，指程度而言，常用以修饰表示能力的词，与can、ever、any等词连用。
He hardly knew what to say.
I can hardly believe that some socialites and dignitaries are involved in syndicated crime.
我简直不能相信，一些社会名流，达官政要竟然涉及集团罪行。
scarcely强调"不足"，主要指数量而言，常与enough、sufficient、any或数词连用。例：
When he played the piano he was scarcely four years old.
The tram was so crowded that there was scarcely sufficient room for you.
At midnight，scarcely any taxi could be found in the streets.
请注意，在表示"一…就…"的涵义时，hardly…when…和scarcely…before…，可互换使用。当hardly或scarcely放在句首时，主句中的主语和辅助动词的次序要颠倒。例如：
Hardly(or Scarcely)had I entered the station when(or before)the last train left.
