How to pronounce woefully
Say it like WOH-fuh-lee. Woefully has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce woefully. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WOH
- fuh
- lee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Woefully pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- fuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- leeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of woefully
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: WOH-fuh-lee.
What does woefully mean?
- In a woeful manner“to cry woefully”
- To an unfortunately great extent.“woefully inadequate”
Where does woefully come from?
From Middle English wofully, equivalent to woeful + -ly.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying woefully
How do you pronounce woefully?
Say WOH-fuh-lee. The American pronunciation is /ˈwoʊfəli/. In British English it is /ˈwəʊfəli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in woefully?
Woefully has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WOH). Broken into parts: WOH · fuh · lee.
Is woefully pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˈwəʊfəli/ (WOH-fuh-lee).