How to pronounce merrily
Say it like MER-uh-lee. Merrily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce merrily. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MER
- uh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Merrily pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep 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 merrily
American and British speakers say merrily in essentially the same way: /ˈmɛrəli/ in the US and /ˈmɛrɪli/ in the UK.
British respelling: MER-ih-lee.
What does merrily mean?
- In a cheerful or merry way.“go merrily along”
Where does merrily come from?
From Middle English myriely, from Old English myriġlīċe; equivalent to merry + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with merrily
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of merrily.
- necessarily
- primarily
- temporarily
- voluntarily
- extraordinarily
- ordinarily
- momentarily
- militarily
- customarily
- secondarily
Questions about saying merrily
How do you pronounce merrily?
Say MER-uh-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɛrəli/. In British English it is /ˈmɛrɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in merrily?
Merrily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MER). Broken into parts: MER · uh · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say merrily the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈmɛrəli/ and the British form is /ˈmɛrɪli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.