How to pronounce horribly
Say it like HOR-uh-blee. Horribly has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce horribly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HOR
- uh
- blee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Horribly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- bleeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of horribly
American and British speakers say horribly in essentially the same way: /ˈhɔrəbli/ in the US and /ˈhɒrɪbli/ in the UK.
British respelling: HOR-ih-blee.
What does horribly mean?
- In a horrible way; very badly.“The beginning art students displayed their horribly executed paintings with hopeful faces.”
- To an extreme degree or extent.“Then everything went horribly wrong.”
- With a very bad effect.“Horribly, as he was dying, his eyes reddened.”
Where does horribly come from?
From Middle English horribly, horribely, horribliche, horriblelyche, equivalent to horrible + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with horribly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of horribly.
Questions about saying horribly
How do you pronounce horribly?
Say HOR-uh-blee. The American pronunciation is /ˈhɔrəbli/. In British English it is /ˈhɒrɪbli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in horribly?
Horribly has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HOR). Broken into parts: HOR · uh · blee.
Do Americans and Brits say horribly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhɔrəbli/ and the British form is /ˈhɒrɪbli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.