How to pronounce “likely”
Say “likely” in 2 beats
likely
/ˈlaɪkli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /laɪkli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- laɪlaɪstress
- klikli
- IPA (American)
- /ˈlaɪkli/
- IPA (British)
- /laɪkli/
- Respelling
- LY-klee
- Syllables
- 2 — LAꞮ-kli
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: LAꞮ-kli. “laɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈlaɪkli/
/laɪkli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “likely” means
- adjective
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
“these services are likely to be available to us all before long”
- adjective
likely but not certain to be or become true or real
“a likely result”
- adjective
expected to become or be; in prospect
“potential clients”
Say it in a sentence
“It is likely to rain later this afternoon.”“likely”, answered
How do you pronounce “likely”?
“likely” is pronounced /ˈlaɪkli/ (LY-klee) in American English and /laɪkli/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “laɪ”. Build it as LAꞮ-kli, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “likely” have?
2: laɪ · kli. The beat lands on the first, “laɪ”.
Is “likely” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈlaɪkli/ (LY-klee); British English says /laɪkli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “likely” mean?
As an adjective: has a good chance of being the case or of coming about For example: “these services are likely to be available to us all before long” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “likely”?
Stress the first syllable: LAꞮ-kli. “laɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “likely” 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.