How to pronounce shapely
Say it like SHAY-plee. Shapely has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shapely. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHAY
- plee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shapely pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- pleeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of shapely
American and British speakers say shapely in essentially the same way: /ˈʃeɪpli/ in the US and /ˈʃeɪpli/ in the UK.
British respelling: SHAY-plee.
What does shapely mean?
- Having a pleasing shape, pleasant to look at.
Where does shapely come from?
From Middle English schaply, schappely (“well-shaped, beautiful, attractive”), perhaps from Old English *ġesċeaplīċ (“according to design, proper, fit”) (suggested by Old English ġesċeaplīċe (“properly, fitting, well”)), equivalent to shape + -ly.
Questions about saying shapely
How do you pronounce shapely?
Say SHAY-plee. The American pronunciation is /ˈʃeɪpli/. In British English it is /ˈʃeɪpli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shapely?
Shapely has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SHAY). Broken into parts: SHAY · plee.
Do Americans and Brits say shapely the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈʃeɪpli/ and the British form is /ˈʃeɪpli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.