Similar words
só
só is more colloquial and short; somente is more formal or written — both mean "only."
Similar in other languages
French
seulement
seulement is the French word for the same thing — both mean "only."
Practice
1 What does somente mean?
only
2 Fill the gap: ___ hoje.
Full sentence: Somente hoje. (Only today.)
3 Which fingerprint chart matches somente?
somente: neutral register, core frequency, general domain, neutral connotation.