How to pronounce really
Say it like RIL-ee. Really has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce really. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RIL
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Really pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of really
American and British speakers say really in essentially the same way: /ˈrɪli/ in the US and /ˈrɪəli/ in the UK.
British respelling: REER-lee.
Other ways to say really
Really also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- REE-lee /ˈrili/
What does really mean?
- in accordance with truth or fact or reality“she was now truly American”“a genuinely open society”
- in actual fact“to be nominally but not actually independent”“no one actually saw the shark”
- in fact (used as intensifiers or sentence modifiers)“in truth, moral decay hastened the decline of the Roman Empire”“really, you shouldn't have done it”
Where does really come from?
From Middle English really, realy, rialliche, equivalent to real + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with really
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of really.
Questions about saying really
How do you pronounce really?
Say RIL-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˈrɪli/. In British English it is /ˈrɪəli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in really?
Really has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (RIL). Broken into parts: RIL · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say really the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈrɪli/ and the British form is /ˈrɪəli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.