特 and 异常: really, exceptionally
【六06】副词 / adverbs (程度)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
特 + adjective or verb of feeling and 异常 + adjective are two degree adverbs that go a notch above 很 and 非常 (hsk1-g36). 特 is spoken, lively and casual: 特高兴, 特好吃, 特喜欢, 特想去 ("super, really"). 异常 is written: it describes something out of the ordinary, beyond the norm: 异常寒冷, 异常安静, 异常激烈 ("unusually, abnormally").
异常 is therefore not a plain "very" like 十分: it stresses surprise, often before an extreme state (cold, silence, tension). It is also an adjective and a noun in its own right ("abnormal, anomaly"): 发现异常, 没有任何异常.
Only one degree adverb per adjective: no 很 before 特 or before 异常. And 特 is always followed by its adjective or verb. Do not confuse it with 特别, which is more neutral and more flexible (特别 can stand alone too: 这个很特别).
Examples
这个周末我特想睡懒觉。
Zhège zhōumò wǒ tè xiǎng shuì lǎnjiào.This weekend I really want to sleep in.
她今天特高兴，因为拿到了奖学金。
Tā jīntiān tè gāoxìng, yīnwèi nádào le jiǎngxuéjīn.She's really happy today because she got the scholarship.
这家店的包子特好吃，每次都要排队。
Zhè jiā diàn de bāozi tè hǎochī, měi cì dōu yào páiduì.The buns in this shop are really good, and there's a queue every time.
今年冬天异常寒冷，很多湖都结了厚厚的冰。
Jīnnián dōngtiān yìcháng hánlěng, hěn duō hú dōu jié le hòuhòu de bīng.This winter has been unusually cold, and many lakes have frozen over thickly.
昨天的比赛异常激烈，直到最后一分钟，谁也不知道谁会赢。
Zuótiān de bǐsài yìcháng jīliè, zhídào zuìhòu yì fēnzhōng, shéi yě bù zhīdào shéi huì yíng.Yesterday's match was exceptionally fierce: until the last minute nobody knew who would win.
体检结果没有发现任何异常。
Tǐjiǎn jiéguǒ méiyǒu fāxiàn rènhé yìcháng.The check-up results showed no abnormality at all.
Common mistakes
✗ 今天很异常冷。 → ✓ 今天异常冷 (only one degree adverb: no 很 before 异常).
✗ 特很好吃 → ✓ 特好吃 / 很好吃 (only one degree adverb per adjective).
✗ 这个菜特。 → ✓ 这个菜特好吃 (特 is always followed by an adjective or a verb of feeling, never alone).