How to pronounce fly
Say it like FLY. Fly is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FLY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FLYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of fly
American and British speakers say fly in essentially the same way: /flaɪ/ in the US and /flaɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: FLY.
What does fly mean?
- travel through the air; be airborne“Man cannot fly”
- move quickly or suddenly“He flew about the place”
- operate an airplane“The pilot flew to Cuba”
- two-winged insects characterized by active flight
- flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent
- an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth
- (British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked
Where does fly come from?
Cognate with Scots flee, flei (“fly”), North Frisian fleeg (“fly”), Saterland Frisian Fljooge (“fly”), Alemannic German Flüüge (“fly”), Cimbrian blòiga, vlòiga (“fly”), Dutch vlieg (“fly”), German Fliege (“fly”), Low German Fleeg (“fly”), V
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with fly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fly.
Questions about saying fly
How do you pronounce fly?
Say FLY. The American pronunciation is /flaɪ/. In British English it is /flaɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fly?
Fly is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FLY.
Do Americans and Brits say fly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /flaɪ/ and the British form is /flaɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.