How to pronounce truly
Say it like TROO-lee. Truly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TROO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce truly. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TROO
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Truly pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TROOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of truly
American and British speakers say truly in essentially the same way: /ˈtruli/ in the US and /ˈtruːli/ in the UK.
British respelling: TROO-lee.
What does truly mean?
- in accordance with truth or fact or reality“she was now truly American”“a genuinely open society”
- by right“baseball rightfully is the nation's pastime”
- with sincerity; without pretense“she praised him sincerely for his victory”“was unfeignedly glad to see his old teacher”
Where does truly come from?
From Middle English truely, treuly, treuli, trewely, treoweliche, treowliche, from Old English trēowlīċe (“faithfully; truly”), equivalent to true + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with truly
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of truly.
Questions about saying truly
How do you pronounce truly?
Say TROO-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtruli/. In British English it is /ˈtruːli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in truly?
Truly has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TROO). Broken into parts: TROO · lee.
Do Americans and Brits say truly the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtruli/ and the British form is /ˈtruːli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.