How to pronounce heavily
Say it like HEV-uh-lee. Heavily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HEV).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce heavily. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HEV
- uh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Heavily pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HEVSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of heavily
American and British speakers say heavily in essentially the same way: /ˈhɛvəli/ in the US and /ˈhɛvɪli/ in the UK.
British respelling: HEV-ih-lee.
What does heavily mean?
- to a considerable degree“he relied heavily on others' data”
- in a heavy-footed manner“he walked heavily up the three flights to his room”
- with great force“she hit her arm heavily against the wall”
Where does heavily come from?
From Middle English hevely, hevyliche, from Old English hefiġlīċe (“heavily; grievously”), equivalent to heavy + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with heavily
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of heavily.
Questions about saying heavily
How do you pronounce heavily?
Say HEV-uh-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈhɛvəli/. In British English it is /ˈhɛvɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in heavily?
Heavily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HEV). Broken into parts: HEV · uh · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say heavily the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhɛvəli/ and the British form is /ˈhɛvɪli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.