3 syllables: cow, ard, ly. Stress on cow.
KOW-urd-lee
/ˈkaʊɚdli/
cowardly is pronounced KOW-urd-lee (/ˈkaʊɚdli/). It has three syllables (cow-ard-ly), with the stress on "cow". Cowardly (adjective) describes someone lacking courage or exhibiting fear in the face of danger. It conveys disapproval and implies a tendency to avoid risk rather than a temporary moment of doubt. The term often carries moral judgment and is used in literary or formal critique as well as everyday speech to condemn hesitant or timorous behavior.
Cowardly (adjective) describes someone lacking courage or exhibiting fear in the face of danger. It conveys disapproval and implies a tendency to avoid risk rather than a temporary moment of doubt. The term often carries moral judgment and is used in literary or formal critique as well as everyday speech to condemn hesitant or timorous behavior.
"The firefighter refused to enter the blazing building, labeling himself cowardly for his hesitation."
"Her cowardly retreat during the debate disappointed her teammates and supporters."
"The dog’s cowardly behavior under the storm alarmed the nearby children."
Pronounce as /ˈkaʊərdli/ in US and UK, with two main syllables: CAW-ərd-ly, stress on CAW. The first syllable contains the diphthong /aʊ/, as in cow. The middle syllable is a schwa /ər/ or /ə/ in rapid speech, and the final syllable is /dli/ with a light, almost instant /l/ blending into /i/. Audio guide: imagine saying cow + er + dly quickly, keeping the jaw drop low for /aʊ/ and finishing with a clear /li/.”
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying /ˈkaʊərdli/ with weak CAW-; or shifting stress to the second syllable leading to /kaʊərˈdli/), mispronouncing the /aʊ/ as a short /a/ or /ɔː/, and running the /ər/ too strongly as /ɜr/, which can flatten the word. Correction: keep the diphthong /aʊ/ intact, use a quick, unstressed /ər/ as a schwa, and finalize with a distinct /d/ followed by the light /li/.”
US: /ˈkaʊərdli/ with rhotics; the /r/ is pronounced clearly before the schwa. UK: /ˈkaʊədəli/ often with a weaker rhotic and a more centralized /ə/; syllable reduction can yield /ˈkaʊdli/ in fast speech. AU: similar to UK but with Australian vowel shifts; /ˈkaʊədli/ and a shorter /ə/ in rapid speech. The main differences lie in rhoticity and the quality of the middle vowel: rhotic US preserves /r/, while many UK/AU varieties reduce rhotics in non-stressed positions and may alter /ə/ to a closer vowel.”
Because it combines a strong diphthong /aʊ/ with a schwa in the middle and a consonant cluster /rd/ before the final /li/. The transition from the vowel sound to the /r/ can be tricky for non-rhotic speakers, and the /l/ followed by /i/ creates a rapid sonority sequence that can blur in casual speech. Focus on preserving the /aʊ/ diphthong, using a light /ər/ or /ə/ in the middle, and keeping the /d/ as a discrete stop before the /li/.”
The word features a silent potential pitfall with the 'w' never silent in this case; it forms the /aʊ/ diphthong with /ɔ/ in some accents, but not silent. The pronounced /d/ before /l/ can create a subtle alignment challenge for learners: avoid inserting a extra vowel between /d/ and /l/ and keep the /l/ light and quick before the /i/.
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Cowardly derives from the noun coward, which originates from the Old French couerd (hide, conceal) and Latin cabulus (a small hollow) via a Germanic adaptation that signified a ‘hollow’ or ‘coward’ person. The sense evolved through Middle English as a descriptor of people who exhibit fearfulness or lack of nerve in dangerous situations. By the 14th century, cowardly began appearing in literature to characterize such behavior, increasingly used as a pejorative adjective. The term reflects social and military attitudes toward courage, duty, and reputation, often tied to masculine ideals of bravery. Over time, cowardly broadened to describe timorous actions beyond battlefield contexts, applying to individuals who display avoidance, reluctance, or moral laxity in the face of risk. In modern usage, cowardly retains its critical tone, though in some contexts it can be employed more lightly or humorously, depending on tone and audience.
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Words that rhyme with "cowardly"
-dly sounds
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