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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “simply”

“simply” is pronounced /ˈsɪmpli/ (SIM-plee) in American English and /sɪmpli/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “simp”.
The sound

Say “simply” in 2 beats

Say it like this

simply

/ˈsɪmpli/

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

2 beats
  1. simpsɪmstress
  2. lypli
IPA (American)
/ˈsɪmpli/
IPA (British)
/sɪmpli/
Respelling
SIM-plee
Syllables
2 — SIMP-ly
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SIMP-ly. “simp” 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
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsɪmpli/

British

/sɪmpli/

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

Meaning

What “simply” means

  1. adverb

    and nothing more

    “I was merely asking”

  2. adverb

    absolutely

    “I just can't take it anymore”

  3. adverb

    absolutely; altogether; really

    “we are simply broke”

Say it in a sentence

“She simply forgot to lock the front door.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ssɪshort immppllilong e

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

Questions

“simply”, answered

How do you pronounce “simply”?

“simply” is pronounced /ˈsɪmpli/ (SIM-plee) in American English and /sɪmpli/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “simp”. Build it as SIMP-ly, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “simply” have?

2: simp · ly. The beat lands on the first, “simp”.

Is “simply” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɪmpli/ (SIM-plee); British English says /sɪmpli/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “simply” mean?

As an adverb: and nothing more For example: “I was merely asking” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “simply”?

Stress the first syllable: SIMP-ly. “simp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “simply” and see every sound

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