How to pronounce measly
Say it like MEEZ-lee. Measly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEEZ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce measly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MEEZ
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Measly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MEEZSay 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 measly
American and British speakers say measly in essentially the same way: /ˈmizli/ in the US and /ˈmiːzli/ in the UK.
British respelling: MEEZ-lee.
What does measly mean?
- Particularly of pigs or pork: infected with larval tapeworms or trichinae (parasitic roundworms).
- Of a person: infected with measles.
- Small (especially contemptibly small) in amount.“For one whole day's work all I was given was twenty measly pounds.”
Where does measly come from?
From measle (“singular of measles”) + -y; the word measle is either from Middle Dutch masel (“a blister filled with blood; a pustule, a skin blemish”), or Middle Low German masel (“a red skin blemish”), from Proto-Germanic *masuraz (“a knot
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying measly
How do you pronounce measly?
Say MEEZ-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈmizli/. In British English it is /ˈmiːzli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in measly?
Measly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MEEZ). Broken into parts: MEEZ · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say measly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmizli/ and the British form is /ˈmiːzli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.