How to pronounce sillily
Say it like SIL-ih-lee. Sillily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sillily. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SIL
- ih
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sillily pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. 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 sillily
American and British speakers say sillily in essentially the same way: /ˈsɪlɪli/ in the US and /ˈsɪlɪli/ in the UK.
British respelling: SIL-ih-lee.
What does sillily mean?
- In a silly manner; foolishly.“The man walked down the street so sillily that many a bystander stopped and stared slack-jawed.”
Where does sillily come from?
From silly + -ly.
Questions about saying sillily
How do you pronounce sillily?
Say SIL-ih-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈsɪlɪli/. In British English it is /ˈsɪlɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sillily?
Sillily has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SIL). Broken into parts: SIL · ih · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say sillily the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsɪlɪli/ and the British form is /ˈsɪlɪli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.