How To Pronounce Softly
softly
How To Say Softly Phonetically
Say the part in capitals loudest. This plain spelling is a guide; the IPA above is exact.
In British English, softly is pronounced /ˈsɒft.li/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷɒft.li]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈsɔːft.li/.
Softly has two 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
Softly has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.
Transcription Tips For Softly
- 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. Softly /ˈsɒft.li/
- 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. Softly /ˈsɒft.li/
- 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. Softly /ˈsɒft.li/
Questions About Softly
How do you say softly phonetically?
Softly sounds like SOFT-lee in British English and SAWFT-lee in American English. The part in capitals is stressed.
How do you pronounce softly in British English?
In British English, softly is pronounced /ˈsɒft.li/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈsʷɒft.li].
How do you pronounce softly in American English?
In American English, softly is pronounced /ˈsɔːft.li/.
How many syllables are in softly?
Softly has two syllables, /sɒft/ + /li/.
Where is the stress in softly?
The main stress is on the first syllable, /sɒft/.
Do British and American English pronounce softly the same way?
No. British English has /ˈsɒft.li/ and American English has /ˈsɔːft.li/.
Syllables And Tree Diagram Of Softly
Softly has two syllables. See how softly divides into syllables, its syllable structure and its tree diagram in the Adroit Phonology App.
Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo
Nearby Words
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