How to pronounce ghastly
Say it like GAST-lee. Ghastly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GAST).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ghastly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GAST
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ghastly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GASTSay 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 ghastly
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: GAHST-lee.
What does ghastly mean?
- Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal.
- Horrifyingly shocking.
- Extremely bad.“The play was simply ghastly.”
- In a ghastly manner.
Where does ghastly come from?
From a conflation of gastly, from Middle English gastly, from gasten (from Old English gǣstan (“to torment, frighten”)) + -ly, and ghostly (which was also spelt gastlich in Middle English).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with ghastly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ghastly.
Questions about saying ghastly
How do you pronounce ghastly?
Say GAST-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡæstli/. In British English it is /ˈɡɑːstli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ghastly?
Ghastly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GAST). Broken into parts: GAST · lee.
Is ghastly pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat. The British form is /ˈɡɑːstli/ (GAHST-lee).