How to pronounce “exactly”
Say “exactly” in 3 beats
exactly
/ɪɡˈzæktli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛɡzaktli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- exɪɡ
- actzæktstress
- lyli
- IPA (American)
- /ɪɡˈzæktli/
- IPA (British)
- /ɛɡzaktli/
- Respelling
- ig-ZAKT-lee
- Syllables
- 3 — ex-ACT-ly
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: ex-ACT-ly. “act” 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
/ɪɡˈzæktli/
/ɛɡzaktli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “exactly” means
- adverb
indicating exactness or preciseness
“he was doing precisely (or exactly) what she had told him to do”
- adverb
just as it should be
“`Precisely, my lord,' he said”
- adverb
in a precise manner
“she always expressed herself precisely”
Say it in a sentence
“Nobody knew exactly why the train had stopped.”“exactly”, answered
How do you pronounce “exactly”?
“exactly” is pronounced /ɪɡˈzæktli/ (ig-ZAKT-lee) in American English and /ɛɡzaktli/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “act”. Build it as ex-ACT-ly, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “exactly” have?
3: ex · act · ly. The beat lands on the second, “act”.
Is “exactly” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɪɡˈzæktli/ (ig-ZAKT-lee); British English says /ɛɡzaktli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “exactly” mean?
As an adverb: indicating exactness or preciseness For example: “he was doing precisely (or exactly) what she had told him to do” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “exactly”?
Stress the second syllable: ex-ACT-ly. “act” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “exactly” 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.