Almost - Nearly...
used to modify adjectives and noun groups
Almost and nearly both mean 'not completely' or 'not quite'. They are usually used in front of adjectives or noun groups.
- The hay was almost ready for cutting.
- We're nearly ready now.

I've nearly been drowned in it three times.

Almost - Nearly...
used to modify adverbials
Almost and nearly can also be used in front of some time adverbials such as 'every morning' and 'ever day', and in front of some place adverbials such as 'there' and 'home'.
- We took to going out almost every evening.
- I used to ride nearly every day.
- We are almost there.
- I think we are nearly there.

used with 'like'
You can say that one thing is almost like another.
- It made me feel almost like a hostess.
You do not usually say that one thing is 'nearly like' another.

used with time expressions
You can use almost or nearly in front of time expressions. If it is almost or nearly a particular time, it will be that time soon.
- It was almost 10 p.m.
- It's almost supper-time.
- By now it was nearly five past ten.
They arrived at almost 5 o'clock.
It was almost 5 o'clock when they arrived.
Note that you only use almost or nearly like this after 'be'. you do not say, for example, 'They arrived at almost five o'clock'. Instead you say 'It was almost five o'clock when they arrived'.
- It was nearly nine o'clock when Simon made his appearance.
- It was almost dark when Kunta, feeling very awkward, finally approached some of the boys.

Almost - Nearly
used with negatives
You can use almost in front of negative words such as 'never', 'no', 'none', 'no-one', 'nothing', and 'nowhere'
- A handbag was considered personal and almost never looked into.
- There is almost no leadership at all.
- I sold a picture by reducing the price to almost nothing.
You cannot use nearly in front of negative words like these.

However, you can use nearly after 'not' to emphasize a negative statement. For example, instead of saying 'The room is not big enough', you can say 'The room is not nearly big enough'.
- It's not nearly so nice.
- We don't do nearly enough to help.
- I haven't done nearly as much as I would like.
You cannot use almost after 'not' like this.

adding modifiers
You can use 'very' or 'so' in front of nearly.
- We were very nearly at the end of our journey.
- Now they were very nearly men.
- ...the American who so nearly won the Open Championship in 1970.
- ...the family that had challenged the Corleone power, and had so nearly succeeded.

In conversation, you can also use 'pretty' in front of nearly.
- I came across a paragraph about a girl I'd pretty nearly forgotten.
- 'Do you know that thirty miles is eight hours solid marching?' -- 'Is it?' -- 'Pretty nearly.'
You cannot use 'very', 'so', or 'pretty' in front of almost.

NOTE: Some books say almost is not normally used with negative words, in stead, we use hardly.
(Illustrated by ABC of COMMENT GRAMMATICAL ERRRORS, p29.1-2)

Aloud
If you say something aloud, you say it so that other people can hear you.
- In no previous war could men say aloud what was on their minds.

If you read aloud a piece of writing, you say the words so that people can hear what has been written.
- She read aloud to us from the newspaper.

Loudly
If you do something loudly, you make a lot of noise when you do it.
- The audience laughed loudly.

Or

- Prisoners have complained loudly (= in a forceful way) about their living conditions.

Loud
We do not normally use loud as an adverb. Note, however, that we do use louder and loudest as adverbs: 'I wish she would speak louder.' Also, we sometimes use loud as an adverb when it is part of a phrase ('he read the letter out loud") or when it is modified ('she doesn't speak loud enought'); especially, in informal english.
She spoke loud so that everyone could hear her.
She spoke loudly so that everyone could hear her.