3 syllables: bril, liant, ly. Stress on bril.
BRIL-yuhnt-lee
/ˈbɹɪljəntli/
brilliantly is pronounced BRIL-yuhnt-lee (/ˈbɹɪljəntli/). It has three syllables (bril-liant-ly), with the stress on "bril". Brilliantly is an adverb meaning in a very impressive or skilful manner, or with bright intelligence. It describes doing something with exceptional skill, brightness of performance, or cleverness. The term implies praise and high quality, often used to emphasize standout execution or insight in actions or ideas.
Brilliantly is an adverb meaning in a very impressive or skilful manner, or with bright intelligence. It describes doing something with exceptional skill, brightness of performance, or cleverness. The term implies praise and high quality, often used to emphasize standout execution or insight in actions or ideas.
- You often misplace stress or compress the middle syllable. - People drop the /j/ sound between /l/ and /ə/ and end up with /l-ənt/ instead of /l.jənt/. - Final /li/ can get swallowed in casual speech, turning into /lɪ/ or /liː/ in some dialects. - Overemphasis on
"She spoke brilliantly during the debate, clearly outlining each argument."
"The presentation was brilliantly engineered, captivating the audience from start to finish."
"He performed brilliantly on the piano, earning a standing ovation."
Break it as BRIL-lee-uhnt-lee, with primary stress on BRIL (IPA US: /ˈbrɪl.jənt.li/). The middle syllable is a quick, unstressed /jə/. The final -ly sounds like /li/. Ensure the /ɪ/ in BRIL is relaxed, not tense, and the /j/ connects smoothly to /ə/ ('uh'), then glide into /nt/ cluster before the final /li/. Audio reference: listen for the clear first syllable, then a quick, light middle vowel and a crisp final syllable.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, resulting in bri-LYANT-ly or bri-llian-ly; (2) Slurring the /ɪ/ into /l/ or turning /ntl/ into a vague /n/; (3) Dropping the final /li/ or making it /lɪ/ with a weak /i/. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable /ˈbrɪl/ and clearly pronounce /jənt/ as a light /jənt/, then finalize with /li/ as a distinct, quick, alveolar closure before the final syllable. Practice with segmented drills to maintain crisp /li/ and /nt/ sequence.
US: rhotic, clearer /r/; UK/ AU: non-rhotic or weak rhoticity, vowel qualities shift slightly. In US, the sequence /brɪl.jənt.li/ may retain a more pronounced /jə/ between /l/ and /nt/. In UK and AU, the /r/ is less pronounced or silent, and the /ə/ in /jə/ may center as a schwa; the /i/ in /li/ can be longer. IPA anchors: US /ˈbrɪl.jənt.li/, UK /ˈbrɪl.jənt.li/, AU /ˈbrɪl.jənt.li/ with subtle vowel length differences and rhoticity variation. Practice by fronting the vowel slightly more in non-rhotic accents and ensuring the /l/ is clear before the /j/.
It combines a stressed initial syllable with a rapid sequence of consonants /l.jənt/ followed by a light /li/. The /j/ blends with a weak /ə/ creating a subtle vowel reduction, and the /nt/ cluster requires precise tongue positioning to avoid a nasal bleed into the /l/; the final /li/ can elide in fast speech. Mastery requires timing the transitions between /l/ and /j/ and keeping the final /li/ distinct rather than gulping it.
A unique nuance is the smooth linking across the /l/ and the /j/ to form a light glacé transition before the /ə/ and /nt/ cluster. In careful speech, you can achieve a subtle palatalization between /l/ and /j/ by slightly raising the tongue blade to touch the alveolar ridge and allowing the /j/ to glide into the /ə/ without an awkward pause. This creates a polished, fluent 'bril.JY-ənt.li' rhythm.
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Brilliantly derives from brilliant, itself from the Old French brillant, from the Latin brillare ‘to shine,’ related to bril(ler) meaning a bright blaze or gleam. The sense of mental brightness or cleverness emerged in English by the 16th–17th centuries, often in contexts praising intellectual or artistic excellence. The suffix -ly, used to form adverbs, developed in Middle English from Old English -lic, denoting manner. Over time, brilliantly has retained the core idea of brightness—either literal light or figurative intellectual sparkle—applied to actions, performances, or ideas. Early uses frequently described luminous or dazzling physical brilliance, later broadening to a metaphorical radiance in thinking or execution. First known uses appear in literary contexts where speakers celebrated exceptional skill or radiant intellect, aligning with the broader semantic shift from “shining” to “outstanding.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "brilliantly" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "brilliantly" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "brilliantly"
-lly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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