How To Pronounce Bitterly

bitterly

UK
Phonemic
/ˈbɪt.ə.li/
Phonetic
[ˈbɪt.əʴ.li]
US
Phonemic
/ˈbɪt.ɚ.li/

How To Say Bitterly Phonetically

UKBIT-uh-lee
USBIT-er-lee

Say the part in capitals loudest. This plain spelling is a guide; the IPA above is exact.

In British English, bitterly is pronounced /ˈbɪt.ə.li/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈbɪt.əʴ.li]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈbɪt.ɚ.li/.

Bitterly has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

bɪtəli

Bitterly has three syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Ooo, where O is the stressed syllable.

Words That Rhyme With Bitterly

Transcription Tips For Bitterly

  1. Rule 29

    The Letter y

    The letter y before a vowel is usually a consonant, /j/. After a consonant it is usually a vowel.

    yes /jes/yam /jæm/city /ˈsɪt.i/

    Here. Bitterly /ˈbɪt.ə.li/

  2. Rule 1

    Double Letters

    Double letters usually realise one sound. There are some cases where double letters realise two sounds, which usually happens with cc and zz.

    letter /ˈlet.ə/bigger /ˈbɪɡ.ə/manner /ˈmæn.ə/

    Here. Bitterly /ˈbɪt.ə.li/

  3. Rule 3

    Mark The Stressed Syllable

    When a word has more than one syllable, the primary stress marker must be placed before the stressed syllable. It is wrong to write /lɔː.jə/ without the stress marker.

    lawyer /ˈlɔː.jə/

    Here. Bitterly /ˈbɪt.ə.li/

  4. Rule 7

    Stress Mark Replaces The Dot

    Do not place a syllable boundary marker where the stress marker appears. /ðeɪ.ə.naʊ.ˈhɪə/ is not acceptable.

    They are now here /ðeɪ.ə.naʊˈhɪə/

    Here. Bitterly /ˈbɪt.ə.li/

All 29 Transcription Rules

Questions About Bitterly

How do you say bitterly phonetically?

Bitterly sounds like BIT-uh-lee in British English and BIT-er-lee in American English. The part in capitals is stressed.

How do you pronounce bitterly in British English?

In British English, bitterly is pronounced /ˈbɪt.ə.li/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈbɪt.əʴ.li].

How do you pronounce bitterly in American English?

In American English, bitterly is pronounced /ˈbɪt.ɚ.li/.

How many syllables are in bitterly?

Bitterly has three syllables, /bɪt/ + /ə/ + /li/.

Where is the stress in bitterly?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /bɪt/.

Do British and American English pronounce bitterly the same way?

No. British English has /ˈbɪt.ə.li/ and American English has /ˈbɪt.ɚ.li/.

Syllables And Tree Diagram Of Bitterly

Bitterly has three syllables. See how bitterly divides into syllables, its syllable structure and its tree diagram in the Adroit Phonology App.

Search All 13,854 Words In The App

Other Words With The Stress Pattern Ooo

Nearby Words

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