Last but not least introduces the final item on a list and stresses that it matters just as much as the others. It fits a speech, a presentation, a toast and IELTS Speaking. In an IELTS essay it looks like a memorised cliché, so Finally or Lastly works better there.
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Last but not least, + clause; A, B and, last but not least, C
- The hotel has a pool, a great restaurant and, last but not least, free parking.
- Last but not least, don't forget to bring your passport to the airport.
- In our presentation, Anna will talk about costs, Mark about design and, last but not least, Olga about marketing.
What changed
First versionAnd last but not the least, I want to thank our volunteers.
RevisionAnd last but not least, I want to thank our volunteers.
When least means the smallest amount or degree, it usually comes with the: the least expensive option. Learners remember this rule and carry it into the fixed phrase, but last but not least has no articles at all. The only change is removing the.
Don't confuse it with at last, which you say when something you have been waiting for finally happens: At last, the rain has stopped. The word finally can cover both ideas, but at last expresses relief after a wait, while last but not least only comes before the last item on a list.
Your turn
At the end of her speech, Maria thanked her team, her manager and, ___, her family.
Show the answer
last but not least — Her family comes at the end of the list of thanks, and Maria stresses that they matter just as much: that is last but not least. At last means finally, after a long wait, so the sentence would sound as if Maria could hardly wait to get to her family.
Make a list of three things to take on a trip. Introduce the last item with last but not least and explain why it matters.
For the trip, pack warm clothes, a phone charger and, last but not least, your passport, because without it you won't get on the plane.
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