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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “vary”

“vary” is pronounced /ˈvɛɹi/ (VE-ree) in American English and /veəɹi/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “var”.
The sound

Say “vary” in 2 beats

Say it like this

vary

/ˈvɛɹi/

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

2 beats
  1. varvɛstress
  2. yɹi
IPA (American)
/ˈvɛɹi/
IPA (British)
/veəɹi/
Respelling
VE-ree
Syllables
2 — VAR-y
Stress
Stress the first syllable: VAR-y. “var” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈvɛɹi/

British

/veəɹi/

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

Meaning

What “vary” means

  1. verb

    become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence

    “her mood changes in accordance with the weather”

  2. verb

    be at variance with; be out of line with

  3. verb

    be subject to change in accordance with a variable

    “Prices vary”

Say it in a sentence

“Prices vary a great deal between the two markets.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

4 sounds, in the order you say them
vvɛshort eɹrilong e

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

Questions

“vary”, answered

How do you pronounce “vary”?

“vary” is pronounced /ˈvɛɹi/ (VE-ree) in American English and /veəɹi/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “var”. Build it as VAR-y, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “vary” have?

2: var · y. The beat lands on the first, “var”.

Is “vary” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈvɛɹi/ (VE-ree); British English says /veəɹi/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “vary” mean?

As a verb: become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence For example: “her mood changes in accordance with the weather” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “vary”?

Stress the first syllable: VAR-y. “var” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “vary” and see every sound

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