Pronunciation

How to pronounce “generally

“generally” is pronounced /ˈdʒɛnɚəli/ (JEN-ur-uh-lee) in American English and /ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/ in British English, and /ˈdʒɛnɹəli/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “gen”.
The sound

Say “generally” in 4 beats

Say it like this

generally

/ˈdʒɛnɚəli/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

4 beats
  1. gendʒɛstress
  2. er
  3. alə
  4. lyli
IPA (American)
/ˈdʒɛnɚəli/
IPA (British)
/ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/
Also accepted
/ˈdʒɛnɹəli/
Respelling
JEN-ur-uh-lee
Syllables
4 — GEN-er-al-ly
Stress
Stress the first syllable: GEN-er-al-ly. “gen” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈdʒɛnɚəli/

British

/ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Watch out

Where “generally” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    JEN-ruh-lee

    the -er- is usually kept: JEN-ur-uh-lee

Meaning

What “generally” means

  1. adverb

    usually; as a rule

    by and large it doesn't rain much here

  2. adverb

    without distinction of one from others

    he is interested in snakes in general

  3. adverb

    without regard to specific details or exceptions

    he interprets the law broadly

Say it in a sentence

Trains here are generally on time except during heavy rain.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

generally”, answered

How do you pronounce “generally”?

“generally” is pronounced /ˈdʒɛnɚəli/ (JEN-ur-uh-lee) in American English and /ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/ in British English, and /ˈdʒɛnɹəli/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “gen”. Build it as GEN-er-al-ly, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “generally” have?

4: gen · er · al · ly. The beat lands on the first, “gen”.

Is “generally” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈdʒɛnɚəli/ (JEN-ur-uh-lee); British English says /ˈdʒɛnəɹəli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “generally” mean?

As an adverb: usually; as a rule For example: “by and large it doesn't rain much here” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “generally”?

Stress the first syllable: GEN-er-al-ly. “gen” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “generally” 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.