How to pronounce necessarily
Say it like nes-uh-SER-uh-lee. Necessarily has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (SER).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce necessarily. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- nes
- uh
- SER
- uh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Necessarily pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- nesGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- SERSay 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 necessarily
American and British speakers say necessarily in essentially the same way: /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli/ in the US and /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrɪli/ in the UK.
British respelling: nes-uh-SER-ih-lee.
What does necessarily mean?
- in an essential manner“such expenses are necessarily incurred”
- in such a manner as could not be otherwise“it is necessarily so”“we must needs by objective”
- as a highly likely consequence“we are necessarily bound for federalism in Europe”
Where does necessarily come from?
From necessary + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with necessarily
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of necessarily.
- primarily
- temporarily
- voluntarily
- extraordinarily
- ordinarily
- momentarily
- militarily
- merrily
- customarily
- secondarily
Questions about saying necessarily
How do you pronounce necessarily?
Say nes-uh-SER-uh-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli/. In British English it is /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in necessarily?
Necessarily has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (SER). Broken into parts: nes · uh · SER · uh · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say necessarily the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli/ and the British form is /ˌnɛsəˈsɛrɪli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.