Adverb vs Adjective Dictation: Hard Hardly Late and Lately

Pay attention to the ending: hard and hardly do not mean the same thing. Hard can describe strong effort or a firm surface; hardly means almost not. Late is about being after the expected time, whereas lately means recently. The rest of the sentence helps you hear which meaning is intended, especially if the ending is quiet. I'd replay the short phrase before deciding. Do not add -ly as a grammar correction: that small change can give the sentence a very different message.