Alternately describes doing something in turn, one after the other, or alternatively presenting two possibilities in rotation. It signals a switch between options or actions, often implying an order or sequence. In usage, it emphasizes the alternation between different states or choices rather than simultaneous occurrence.
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US: rhoticity affects /ɔːl/ sounding like /ɔɹ/ in some speakers; UK: non-rhotic, /ɔːl/ clearer; AU: broader /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ with slightly flatter /ə/. Vowel quality differences in /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ shape; ensure /neɪ/ uses a clear diphthong /eɪ/. Consonants: keep /t/ as a crisp stop; avoid linking /l/ to /t/. Use IPA references: /ˈɔːl.təˌneɪt.li/.
"The two candidates spoke alternately for several minutes, each taking turns to present their views."
"The machine can operate in alternately high and low modes depending on the input."
"She smiled, nodded, and alternately checked her watch and the door."
"To solve the puzzle, you should test the variables alternately until you find a consistent result."
Alternately comes from the late Latin alternatus, from alternare 'to change, interchange, take turns,' from Latin alter ‘the other of two’ (related to ‘alter’). The English form evolved through Old French alterner, with the sense broadening in Middle English to mean ‘in alternate order or fashion.’ The prefix altern- reflects change or difference, while the adverbial suffix -ly was attached to form a manner adverb by the 15th century. The term is often used in logic, mathematics, and everyday language to describe non-simultaneous sequencing or dichotomous options. First known usage in English traces to the 15th–16th centuries in scholastic and rhetorical texts, where alternation described alternating methods or sides in arguments and demonstrations. Over time, its usage broadened to general sequential alternation in actions, states, or choices, maintaining the core sense of turning between two or more possibilities.
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Words that rhyme with "alternately"
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Pronunciation: /ˈɔːl.təˌneɪt.li/ (US) or /ˈɒl.təˌneɪt.li/ (UK). Primary stress on the first syllable, secondary stress on the third? Wait: actually the common pattern is AL-ter-nate-ly with stress on AL. Break into four syllables: OL-ter-NATE-ly. The mid syllable is a schwa or a reduced vowel: /tə/. Lip positions: start with an open back rounded /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ at the first vowel, then a relaxed /tə/ or /tər/, glide into /neɪ/ with a clear /eɪ/ Vowel, finally a light /li/.
Common mistakes: (1) Stress misplacement, pronouncing as al-TERN-ate-ly or al-ter-NATE-ly with the second syllable carrying the main stress; (2) Vowel reduction errors in the second syllable, saying /ə/ in the wrong position or making /ɪ/ instead of /ə/; (3) Slurring the /t/ into /d/ or making /neɪ/ sound like /ne/; corrections: stress the first syllable clearly, keep the /t/ as a crisp stop between /l/ and /tə/, and pronounce /neɪ/ with a clean /eɪ/.
US: /ˈɔːl.təˌneɪt.li/, with rhotics /ɔɹ/ as in some speakers? UK: /ˈɔːl.təˌneɪt.li/ with non-rhotic /ɔː/ and /tə/; AU: /ˈɒːl.təˌneɪt.li/ with broader vowels; in all, the sequence /t/ is a clear voiceless alveolar stop, and the final /li/ often reduced to /li/ or /lɪ/ in rapid speech. Primary stress remains on the first syllable across varieties.
Two main challenges: (1) The ’al-’ cluster followed closely by a light /t/ can blur in rapid speech, making it sound like al-tern-ate-ly; (2) The /ə/ in the second syllable is a reduced vowel that often shifts to a schwa or a different vowel in rapid speech, altering rhythm. Focus on crisp /t/ before /n/ and a stable /neɪ/; practice maintaining primary stress on the first syllable while keeping a clean -ə- between /l/ and /nə-/.
In technical prose, you’ll usually keep a precise, evenly spaced syllabic rhythm: AL-ter-nate-ly with steady tempo; avoid elongating any vowel unnecessarily. The sequence emphasizes alternation—your voice should ‘toggle’ between options with each syllable when reading lists, and you should avoid heavy stress on later syllables to preserve clarity.
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