How to pronounce freely
Say it like FREE-lee. Freely has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FREE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce freely. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FREE
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Freely pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FREESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of freely
American and British speakers say freely in essentially the same way: /ˈfrili/ in the US and /ˈfriːli/ in the UK.
British respelling: FREE-lee.
What does freely mean?
- in a free manner“the painting featured freely brushed strokes”
Where does freely come from?
From Middle English frely, freelich, from Old English frēolīc (“free, freeborn, glorious, stately, magnificent, noble, beautiful, charming”), equivalent to free + -ly.
Words that rhyme with freely
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of freely.
Questions about saying freely
How do you pronounce freely?
Say FREE-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈfrili/. In British English it is /ˈfriːli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in freely?
Freely has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FREE). Broken into parts: FREE · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say freely the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfrili/ and the British form is /ˈfriːli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.