How to pronounce ideally
Say it like eye-DEE-lee. Ideally has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ideally. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- eye
- DEE
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ideally pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- eyeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- DEESay 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 ideally
American and British speakers say ideally in essentially the same way: /aɪˈdili/ in the US and /aɪˈdɪəli/ in the UK.
British respelling: eye-DEER-lee.
What does ideally mean?
- in an ideal manner“ideally, this will remove all problems”
Where does ideally come from?
From ideal + -ly.
Words that rhyme with ideally
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ideally.
Questions about saying ideally
How do you pronounce ideally?
Say eye-DEE-lee. The American pronunciation is /aɪˈdili/. In British English it is /aɪˈdɪəli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ideally?
Ideally has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DEE). Broken into parts: eye · DEE · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say ideally the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /aɪˈdili/ and the British form is /aɪˈdɪəli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.