How to pronounce thiefly
Say it like THEE-flee. Thiefly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (THEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce thiefly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- THEE
- flee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Thiefly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- THEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- fleeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of thiefly
American and British speakers say thiefly in essentially the same way: /ˈθifli/ in the US and /ˈθiːfli/ in the UK.
British respelling: THEE-flee.
What does thiefly mean?
- Like a thief; thievishly.
Where does thiefly come from?
From Middle English thefly, þeefliche, þeofliche, equivalent thief + -ly.
Words that rhyme with thiefly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of thiefly.
Questions about saying thiefly
How do you pronounce thiefly?
Say THEE-flee. The American pronunciation is /ˈθifli/. In British English it is /ˈθiːfli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in thiefly?
Thiefly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (THEE). Broken into parts: THEE · flee.
Do Americans and Brits say thiefly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈθifli/ and the British form is /ˈθiːfli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.