Meaning and Emphasis Depending on the Placement of "Only"

Question

My dog only likes people food.

My dog likes only people food.

My dog likes people food only.

In each of these sentences, how does "only" affect it (i.e. emphasis and meaning)? Are any of them incorrect?

My understanding is that the first sentence conveys my dog liking people food and nothing else (not limited to food). The second sentence is slightly different - my dog doesn't dislike everything, but when it comes to food the only food he likes is people food.

Is there a good rule for the placement of "only" in sentences? Which is the most grammatical and comprehendible/unambiguous?

possible duplicate of Correct position of "only". Also Position of only in a sentence and meaning, Does it matter where you put “only”?, and probably several others. — FumbleFingers, May 25 '15 at 12:20
For the most likely intended meaning (my dog doesn't like anything except "people food"), all three forms are "credible" - but idiomatically, #1 is far more likely. But interestingly, that seems to be the only version that could also carry a completely different meaning, given appropriate context and emphasis. My dog only likes* people food - what he really loves is raw liver, which most people don't eat*. — FumbleFingers, May 25 '15 at 12:33

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 25 '15 at 12:11

They all mean the same to me (native speaker.) The first one sounds natural, and expresses the idea about food without implying anything about non-food. The other two, while not strictly wrong, sound a bit awkward, without conveying any additional meaning.

Meaning and Emphasis Depending on the Placement of "Only"

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