How to pronounce historically
Say it like hih-STOR-ih-kuh-lee. Historically has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce historically. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hih
- STOR
- ih
- kuh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Historically pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- STORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kuhKeep 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 historically
American and British speakers say historically in essentially the same way: /hɪˈstɔrɪkəli/ in the US and /hɪˈstɒrɪkəli/ in the UK.
British respelling: hih-STOR-ih-kuh-lee.
What does historically mean?
- throughout history“historically they have never coexisted peacefully”
- with respect to history“this is historically interesting”
Where does historically come from?
From historical + -ly or historic + -ally.
Questions about saying historically
How do you pronounce historically?
Say hih-STOR-ih-kuh-lee. The American pronunciation is /hɪˈstɔrɪkəli/. In British English it is /hɪˈstɒrɪkəli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in historically?
Historically has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STOR). Broken into parts: hih · STOR · ih · kuh · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say historically the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hɪˈstɔrɪkəli/ and the British form is /hɪˈstɒrɪkəli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.