Is the word "only" in the correct place in the sentence: "Speaking naturally is really only a skill you can develop through practice."

Question

The location of the word "only" is somewhat blurry for me. Should it come before or after what it refers to. In the case of "staff only", it is after the word it refers to, but in the case of "This is the only food that is available." it comes before the word it refers to.

Here is another sentenc whwere I could not quite be sure about its location.

Speaking naturally is really only a skill you can develop through practice.

As you can see, the word "only" is referring to **"through practice." So, I wonder why it was not placed just before or after it. **"Would it not be better, if the word "only" was placed in one of the following ways:

1- "Speaking naturally is really a skill you can develop only through practice." (It comes before "through practice")

2- "Speaking naturally is really a skill you can develop through practice, only." It comes after "through practice")

Answer 1

1 - * "Speaking naturally is really a skill you can develop only through practice." (It comes before "through practice")

2 - * Speaking naturally is really a skill you can develop through practice only. In this

Putting only at the end for that utterance does not change its meaning.

Adverbs can be placed before or after a verb: He often works late. He works late often.

3 - * Speaking naturally is really only a skill you can develop through practice.

only in sentence 1 & 2 is an adverb. It means solely or exclusively. It modifies develop. It tells us how you can develop the skill.

only in sentence 3 is also an adverb: placed after be as a main verb in the sentence.

4 - * This is the only food available.

only there is an adjective.

Cambridge has an excellent page on only: only

Its main points are:

Only: position As an adjective, we use only in front of a noun or one, or before another adjective or a number: [see the examples via the link below]

We can use only as an adverb in different positions, depending on its focus. If the subject is the focus, we put only in front position:

Only Jason knows where the key is kept.

Only a very small bed will fit in this room.

If the focus is on another part of the sentence, we usually put only in the normal mid position for adverbs (between the subject and the main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb):

I only go home once a month. (between subject and main verb)
She had only arrived at midnight the night before. (after the first auxiliary verb)
She’s only sixteen.
(after be as a main verb)

[All bolding mine.]