How to pronounce illegally
Say it like il-EE-guh-lee. Illegally has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (EE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce illegally. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- il
- EE
- guh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Illegally pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ilGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- EESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- guhKeep 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 illegally
American and British speakers say illegally in essentially the same way: /ˌɪˈliɡəli/ in the US and /ˌɪˈliːɡəli/ in the UK.
British respelling: il-EE-guh-lee.
What does illegally mean?
- in an illegal manner“they dumped the waste illegally”
Where does illegally come from?
From illegal + -ly or il- + legally.
Questions about saying illegally
How do you pronounce illegally?
Say il-EE-guh-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪˈliɡəli/. In British English it is /ˌɪˈliːɡəli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in illegally?
Illegally has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (EE). Broken into parts: il · EE · guh · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say illegally the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪˈliɡəli/ and the British form is /ˌɪˈliːɡəli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.