3 syllables: com, plete, ly. Stress on plete.
kuhm-PLEET-lee
/kəmˈplitli/
completely is pronounced kuhm-PLEET-lee (/kəmˈplitli/). It has three syllables (com-plete-ly), with the stress on "plete". Completely is an adverb meaning to a full extent or completely; entirely. It often modifies verbs and adjectives, indicating wholeness or total completion. In pronunciation terms, the word places primary stress on the second syllable or on the final content syllable in fast speech, and its cadence can influence how surrounding words connect in fluent speech.
Completely is an adverb meaning to a full extent or completely; entirely. It often modifies verbs and adjectives, indicating wholeness or total completion. In pronunciation terms, the word places primary stress on the second syllable or on the final content syllable in fast speech, and its cadence can influence how surrounding words connect in fluent speech.
- Misplacing primary stress on the second syllable (com-PLEET-ly) or treating the word as two clear words instead of a three-syllable unit. - Over-articulating every consonant, especially the /t/ in -tli, which makes the word sound stilted. - Reducing the middle vowel too much, turning /pli/ into /plɪ/ or /plæ/ and killing the crisp 'pli' glide.
"The project is completely finished and ready to hand in."
"She completely forgot about the meeting and missed it entirely."
"If you’re completely honest, you’ll say it wasn’t your best performance."
You pronounce it as /ˈkɒm.pli.tli/ in US and UK English, with primary stress on the first syllable. In US English, the first vowel is an open back vowel [ɒ] or near [ɑ] depending on dialect, followed by a light, unstressed -'pli-' and a final unstressed '-tli' where the 't' blends quickly into a syllabic 'li'. In Australian English it remains similar, but you may hear slightly less rhotic contrast and mild vowel shifts. Practice by saying ‘KOM-pli-tee’ quickly but clearly, keeping the 'com' syllable strong.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable (com-PLEET-ly) or pronouncing as ‘com-plete-ly’ with a silent or weak ‘t’. Another error is over-emphasizing the final -ly, making it sound like ‘com-plee-TEE’. Correct approach: place primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈkɒm.pli.tli/ and keep the -t- as a light, rapid consonant before the -li. Also avoid pronouncing the middle vowel as a schwa; keep it as a short /ɪ/ or /i/ sound in ‘-pli-’. Improving your pace helps reduce over-articulation.
In US, UK, and AU, the core form is /ˈkɒm.pli.tli/ or /ˈkɑːm.plɪt.li/ depending on vowel shifts. US tends to weaker final syllable rhythm, with a lighter /t/ and possible reduction to /-tli/ or /-tli/ in rapid speech. UK typically uses a clearer /ɒ/ for the first vowel in many dialects; Australians may show a flatter /ɒ/ and more relaxed rhoticity in some regions while still pronouncing the final -li clearly. Across all, the second syllable ‘pli’ remains a short, high-front vowel cluster; the last syllable is light and fast.
The difficulty comes from coordinating three syllables with a tough consonant sequence: /kɒm/ + /pli/ + /tli/. The 'tli' cluster often reduces in fluent speech, making the final sound less distinct. The tongue must switch rapidly from a back vowel to a high-front vowel, then to a syllabic or nearly syllabic 'li'. Additionally, the drift between /ɒ/ (or /ɑː/) and /ɪ/ in the middle syllable can be subtle, leading to mispronunciations like /ˌkɒm.plea.tli/ or /ˈkɔːm.plɪdli/.
A unique aspect is the rapid, almost tacit transition from the /m/ in the first syllable to the /pl/ cluster beginning the second syllable. In careful speech, you’ll articulate the /m/ closure clearly, then move immediately into a tense /pl/ cluster, letting the /t/ appear as a light touch before the final /li/. The result is a smooth, three-beat rhythm with minimal vowel lengthening in the middle syllable.
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US: broader /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in first vowel; less vowel rounding; final -ly pronounced quickly. UK: slightly tenser vowels; clearer /ɒ/ in 'com'; stronger final /li/. AU: similar to UK/US, but with more relaxed rhotics and often a lengthened vowel in some dialects. Reference IPA: US /ˈkɑːm.plə.tli/, UK /ˈkɒm.plɪ.tli/, AU /ˈkɒm.plɪ.tli/. Watch for non-rhotic tendencies in some speakers; keep /t/ light and avoid glottal stop in the middle.
Completely comes from Middle English completely, via Old French complet: from Latin completus, past participle of complere, meaning to fill up, finish, or complete. The Latin verb complere is formed from com- ‘together’ and ple- ‘to fill’. By the 14th century, completely evolved to mean ‘in a complete manner’ in English, retaining the sense of entire fullness or total extent. Over time, the word shifted from a general sense of fullness to a grammatical adverb frequently used to intensify adjectives and verbs. The staple modern sense, ‘to the utmost degree’, appears in late Middle English and early Modern English as writers increasingly used adverbs to modify action and state for emphasis. First known use is attested in Middle English texts as ‘complely’ or ‘completely’, aligning with the broader development of adverbial intensifiers in the language. The word’s evolution parallels the growth of the Latin root into European languages, maintaining the core meaning of wholeness and fullness while adapting to English syntax and stress patterns. This history reflects the broader pattern of Latin-based adverbs entering English via French with intensified suffixes that express degree and extent.
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Words that rhyme with "completely"
-lly sounds
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