How to pronounce badly
Say it like BAD-lee. Badly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAD).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce badly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAD
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Badly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BADSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of badly
American and British speakers say badly in essentially the same way: /ˈbædli/ in the US and /ˈbædli/ in the UK.
British respelling: BAD-lee.
What does badly mean?
- to a severe or serious degree“fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated”“badly injured”
- (ill is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well“he was ill prepared”“it ill befits a man to betray old friends”
- evilly or wickedly“treated his parents badly”“to steal is to act badly”
Where does badly come from?
From Middle English badly, baddely, baddeliche, equivalent to bad + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with badly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of badly.
Questions about saying badly
How do you pronounce badly?
Say BAD-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈbædli/. In British English it is /ˈbædli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in badly?
Badly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAD). Broken into parts: BAD · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say badly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbædli/ and the British form is /ˈbædli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.