How to pronounce “highly”
Say “highly” in 2 beats
highly
/ˈhaɪli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /haɪli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- highhaɪstress
- lyli
- IPA (American)
- /ˈhaɪli/
- IPA (British)
- /haɪli/
- Respelling
- HY-lee
- Syllables
- 2 — HIGH-ly
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: HIGH-ly. “high” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls 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
/ˈhaɪli/
/haɪli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “highly” means
- adverb
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
“highly successful”
- adverb
at a high rate or wage
“highly paid workers”
- adverb
in a high position or level or rank
“details known by only a few highly placed persons”
Say it in a sentence
“The new manager was highly recommended by her old team.”“highly”, answered
How do you pronounce “highly”?
“highly” is pronounced /ˈhaɪli/ (HY-lee) in American English and /haɪli/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “high”. Build it as HIGH-ly, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “highly” have?
2: high · ly. The beat lands on the first, “high”.
Is “highly” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈhaɪli/ (HY-lee); British English says /haɪli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “highly” mean?
As an adverb: to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect For example: “highly successful” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “highly”?
Stress the first syllable: HIGH-ly. “high” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “highly” 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.