Why do JLPT N4 learners confuse この頃 with きっと?

Both words occupy adjacent semantic territory, which is exactly why the JLPT uses them as distractors for each other on multiple-choice items. The fastest way to stop confusing them is to study them as a pair, write a one-sentence contrast in your own words, and drill the pair specifically rather than each word in isolation.

Is この頃 or きっと more common on JLPT N4?

Both appear in the JLPT N4 curriculum and either may show up on a given exam. Don't try to predict which one the test will choose — learn to distinguish them and you'll be safe regardless. Both belong to the Adverbs & Expressions theme of N4 vocabulary.

How do I practice this confusion pair?

Free option: visit /try and pick a confusion drill. Paid option: none — JLPT Mastery is free during launch. Whichever route you take, the engine specifically re-tests pairs you've gotten wrong rather than rotating through general vocabulary review.

JLPT N4 · Elementary · Meaning confusion

この頃 vs きっと

Q: What's the difference between この頃 and きっと?

この頃 (このごろ) means "these days, nowadays" and きっと (きっと) means "surely, definitely, undoubtedly, certainly". Konogoro (この頃) identifies the current era ('these days'), and kitto (きっと) identifies the speaker's certainty. Both are high-frequency adverbs used to introduce an opinion or observation.

Why JLPT N4 learners mix up この頃 (このごろ, “these days, nowadays”) and きっと (きっと, “surely, definitely, undoubtedly, certainly”).

この頃

このごろ

these days, nowadays

adverb

きっと

surely, definitely, undoubtedly, certainly

adverb

Theme: Adverbs & ExpressionsJLPT N4

Why these get confused

Konogoro (この頃) identifies the current era ('these days'), and kitto (きっと) identifies the speaker's certainty. Both are high-frequency adverbs used to introduce an opinion or observation.

How to tell them apart

Anchor on the meaning, not the form. この頃 (these days, nowadays) and きっと (surely, definitely, undoubtedly, certainly) live in adjacent semantic territory. Memorize the boundary, not just each word.
Read the example sentences below. Seeing each word in its natural context builds a faster lookup than studying the dictionary form alone.

In a sentence

この頃 (these days, nowadays)

この頃あなたらしくない。
この頃とっても忙しいのよ！

きっと (surely, definitely, undoubtedly, certainly)

彼はきっと勝つ。
彼はきっと勝つ。

How JLPT tests this pair

On JLPT N4, this pair shows up as a vocabulary meaning question. You see one word and pick its English equivalent from four options — one of which will be the other word in this pair, chosen as a distractor precisely because of the overlap.

Sample item

「この頃」の意味は？