How to pronounce “directly”
Say “directly” in 3 beats
directly
/dɚˈɛktli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /daɪɹɛktli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- dirdɚ
- ectɛktstress
- lyli
- IPA (American)
- /dɚˈɛktli/
- IPA (British)
- /daɪɹɛktli/
- Also accepted
- /diˈɹɛkli/
- Also accepted
- /daɪˈɹɛkli/
- Also accepted
- /dɪˈɹɛkli/
- Respelling
- duh-EKT-lee
- Syllables
- 3 — dir-ECT-ly
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: dir-ECT-ly. “ect” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/dɚˈɛktli/
/daɪɹɛktli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “directly” means
- adverb
without deviation
“the path leads directly to the lake”
- adverb
without anyone or anything intervening
“these two factors are directly related”
- adverb
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
“he answered immediately”
Say it in a sentence
“The path leads directly to the top of the hill.”“directly”, answered
How do you pronounce “directly”?
“directly” is pronounced /dɚˈɛktli/ (duh-EKT-lee) in American English and /daɪɹɛktli/ in British English, and /diˈɹɛkli/ and /daɪˈɹɛkli/ and /dɪˈɹɛkli/ are also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “ect”. Build it as dir-ECT-ly, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “directly” have?
3: dir · ect · ly. The beat lands on the second, “ect”.
Is “directly” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /dɚˈɛktli/ (duh-EKT-lee); British English says /daɪɹɛktli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “directly” mean?
As an adverb: without deviation For example: “the path leads directly to the lake” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “directly”?
Stress the second syllable: dir-ECT-ly. “ect” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “directly” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.