short
- shortly - briefly
‘short’
Short is an adjective. You usually use it to say that something does not last for a long time.
Let's take a short break.
She made a short speech.
‘shortly’
Shortly is an adverb. If something is going to happen shortly, it is going to happen soon. This is a slightly old-fashioned use.
They should be returning shortly.
If something happened shortly after something else, it happened soon after it.
She died shortly afterwards.
Very shortly after I started my job, I got promoted.
‘briefly’
Don't use ‘shortly’ to say that something lasts or is done for a short time. Don't say, for example, ‘She told them shortly what had happened’. Use briefly.
She told them briefly what had happened.