How to pronounce politely
Say it like puh-LYTE-lee. Politely has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LYTE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce politely. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- LYTE
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Politely pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- LYTESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of politely
American and British speakers say politely in essentially the same way: /pəˈlaɪtli/ in the US and /pəˈlaɪtli/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-LYTE-lee.
What does politely mean?
- in a polite manner
Where does politely come from?
From polite + -ly.
Words that rhyme with politely
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of politely.
Questions about saying politely
How do you pronounce politely?
Say puh-LYTE-lee. The American pronunciation is /pəˈlaɪtli/. In British English it is /pəˈlaɪtli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in politely?
Politely has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LYTE). Broken into parts: puh · LYTE · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say politely the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈlaɪtli/ and the British form is /pəˈlaɪtli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.