2 syllables: brad, ley. Stress on brad.
BRAD-lee
/ˈbɹædli/
bradley is pronounced BRAD-lee (/ˈbɹædli/). It has two syllables (brad-ley), with the stress on "brad". Bradley is a masculine given name of British origin, also used as a surname and place name. In everyday speech, it functions as a two-syllable word with primary stress on the first syllable: BRAD-lee. The name’s pronunciation is straightforward for most English speakers, but careful articulation of the second syllable and ending can affect naturalness in fast speech across dialects.
Bradley is a masculine given name of British origin, also used as a surname and place name. In everyday speech, it functions as a two-syllable word with primary stress on the first syllable: BRAD-lee. The name’s pronunciation is straightforward for most English speakers, but careful articulation of the second syllable and ending can affect naturalness in fast speech across dialects.
"Bradley received the award for his design work."
"We met Bradley at the conference and chatted about photography."
"The Bradley family is known for generations of engineers."
Pronunciation: US /ˈbrædli/, UK /ˈbrædli/, AU /ˈbrædli/. Put stress on the first syllable: BRAD-lee. The first vowel is the short a as in cat. The second syllable has a light, unstressed -li; avoid turning it into a consonant or a separate syllable. Lips relaxed, jaw slightly dropped for /æ/, then quick, almost clipped /li/.
Common mistakes include elongating the second syllable, turning /li/ into a separate syllable like ‘lee’ with extra length, and mispronouncing the first vowel as a more open or back sound. Another error is adding a schwa before the -ly, producing brad-wlee rather than brad-lee. The fix: keep /æ/ as a short vowel, then deliver a crisp /l/ plus a short /i/ without extra vowels. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on duration, not extra syllables.
US: rhotic, clear /r/; BRAD-lee with a strong /æ/ and light /li/. UK: often non-rhotic; the /r/ may be silent before a vowel in some speakers, but in standard REC and careful speech you’ll still hear /r/ in brad-lee; vowel quality may be sometimes a reduced vowel close to /æ/. AU: similar to US, but with a slightly broader vowel shift; try to maintain the short /æ/ and light /li/ with faster pace.
The challenge lies in the brief, tense /æ/ followed by a quick /d/ and a light, unstressed /li/. For some speakers, the transition between /æ/ and /d/ can blur, making the syllables run together. Others might vocalize the second syllable too long or insert extra vowels. The remedy is to practice the exact two-syllable rhythm: BRAD-lee, with a crisp /d/ and a fast, relaxed /li/.
A distinctive feature is achieving the crisp, unextended /æ/ in the first syllable while ensuring the second syllable has a light, quick /li/ that doesn’t get swallowed by the preceding consonant. The word relies on clean timing: heavy first syllable consonant cluster ending with /d/ and an immediate glide into /li/. Perfecting this balance defines natural-sounding Bradley.
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Bradley originates from Old English elements brād, meaning broad or broad-field, and leah, meaning a clearing, meadow, or field. The name likely described someone who lived near a broad clearing or meadow, or who came from a place named Bradley (common in England). Early attestations appear in medieval documents, with the surname adopting prominence in the British Isles before migrating to other English-speaking regions. The modern use as a given name became popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, aided by the tradition of using surnames as first names. First known uses include medieval landholding names and later registration as given names in genealogical records. In contemporary usage, Bradley is a familiar, approachable name across English-speaking countries, often perceived as sturdy and traditional. The phonetic rendering has remained stable: /ˈbrædli/ in many dialects, with minor vowel shifts in other varieties.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "bradley" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "bradley"
-dly sounds
-ic) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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