How to pronounce “probably”
Say “probably” in 3 beats
probably
/ˈpɹɑbəbli/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ˈpɹɒbəbli/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- probpɹɑstress
- abbə
- lybli
- IPA (American)
- /ˈpɹɑbəbli/
- IPA (British)
- /ˈpɹɒbəbli/
- Also accepted
- /ˈpɹɑbli/
- Respelling
- PROB-uh-blee
- Syllables
- 3 — PROB-ab-ly
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: PROB-ab-ly. “prob” 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
/ˈpɹɑbəbli/
/ˈpɹɒbəbli/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
Also accepted
/ˈpɹɑbli/ — In fast speech most native speakers say PROB-lee, and that is normal.Where “probably” goes wrong
- Often heard
“PROB-ly”
fine in conversation, but keep three syllables when you need to be clear
What “probably” means
- adverb
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
“He is probably out of the country”
- adverb
easy to believe on the basis of available evidence
“he talked plausibly before the committee”
Say it in a sentence
“We will probably leave before the traffic gets bad tomorrow morning.”“probably”, answered
How do you pronounce “probably”?
“probably” is pronounced /ˈpɹɑbəbli/ (PROB-uh-blee) in American English and /ˈpɹɒbəbli/ in British English, and /ˈpɹɑbli/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “prob”. Build it as PROB-ab-ly, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “probably” have?
3: prob · ab · ly. The beat lands on the first, “prob”.
Is “probably” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈpɹɑbəbli/ (PROB-uh-blee); British English says /ˈpɹɒbəbli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “probably” mean?
As an adverb: with considerable certainty; without much doubt For example: “He is probably out of the country” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “probably”?
Stress the first syllable: PROB-ab-ly. “prob” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “probably” 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.