How to pronounce “previously”
Say “previously” in 4 beats
previously
/ˈpɹiviəsli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /pɹiːviəsli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- pɹipɹistress
- vivi
- əə
- slisli
- IPA (American)
- /ˈpɹiviəsli/
- IPA (British)
- /pɹiːviəsli/
- Respelling
- PREE-vee-uh-slee
- Syllables
- 4 — PɹI-vi-ə-sli
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: PɹI-vi-ə-sli. “pɹi” 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
/ˈpɹiviəsli/
/pɹiːviəsli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “previously” means
- adverb
at an earlier time or formerly
“she had previously lived in Chicago”
Say it in a sentence
“The building was previously used as a small schoolhouse.”“previously”, answered
How do you pronounce “previously”?
“previously” is pronounced /ˈpɹiviəsli/ (PREE-vee-uh-slee) in American English and /pɹiːviəsli/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “pɹi”. Build it as PɹI-vi-ə-sli, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “previously” have?
4: pɹi · vi · ə · sli. The beat lands on the first, “pɹi”.
Is “previously” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈpɹiviəsli/ (PREE-vee-uh-slee); British English says /pɹiːviəsli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “previously” mean?
As an adverb: at an earlier time or formerly For example: “she had previously lived in Chicago”
Where is the stress in “previously”?
Stress the first syllable: PɹI-vi-ə-sli. “pɹi” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “previously” 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.