How to pronounce tardy
Say it like TAR-dee. Tardy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tardy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAR
- dee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tardy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TARSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- deeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of tardy
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: TAH-dee.
What does tardy mean?
- Late; overdue or delayed.“He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth.”
- Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
- Ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dull.“His tardy performance bordered on incompetence.”
- A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.“The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell.”
- An instance of a student's being marked as tardy by a teacher on the teacher's attendance sheet.
- To dawdle.
Where does tardy come from?
From an earlier tardive, from French tardif, from Late Latin tardīvus, from Latin tardus (“slow”, “sluggish”), of obscure origin.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tardy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tardy.
Questions about saying tardy
How do you pronounce tardy?
Say TAR-dee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtɑrdi/. In British English it is /ˈtɑːdi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tardy?
Tardy has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAR). Broken into parts: TAR · dee.
Is tardy pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈtɑːdi/ (TAH-dee).