How to pronounce sickly
Say it like SIK-lee. Sickly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sickly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SIK
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sickly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SIKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of sickly
American and British speakers say sickly in essentially the same way: /ˈsɪkli/ in the US and /ˈsɪkli/ in the UK.
British respelling: SIK-lee.
What does sickly mean?
- Frequently ill or in poor health; weakly.“a sickly child”
- Not in good health; (somewhat) sick.
- Characterized by poor or unhealthy growth. (of a plant)
- To become sickly.
- In a sick manner; in a way that reflects or causes sickness.“sickly pale; to cough sickly”
Where does sickly come from?
From Middle English seekly, sekely, siklich, sekeliche, equivalent to sick + -ly.
Words that rhyme with sickly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sickly.
Questions about saying sickly
How do you pronounce sickly?
Say SIK-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɪkli/. In British English it is /ˈsɪkli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sickly?
Sickly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIK). Broken into parts: SIK · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say sickly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɪkli/ and the British form is /ˈsɪkli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.