2 syllables: ear, ly. Stress on ear.
UR-lee
/ˈɝli/
early is pronounced UR-lee (/ˈɝli/). It has two syllables (ear-ly), with the stress on "ear". Early refers to a time preceding the usual or expected moment, often indicating precedence in order or occurrence. It describes something happening ahead of schedule or to an early stage of development. In everyday use, it can indicate timeliness, priority, or an initial phase, with nuance depending on context (time, events, or sequence).
Early refers to a time preceding the usual or expected moment, often indicating precedence in order or occurrence. It describes something happening ahead of schedule or to an early stage of development. In everyday use, it can indicate timeliness, priority, or an initial phase, with nuance depending on context (time, events, or sequence).
- Not separating the two syllables clearly, making it sound like one syllable; practice with a deliberate pause between /ɜːr/ and /li/ to reinforce structure. - Varying the first vowel too much, producing a short /e/ or /æ/ instead of /ɜː/. Use a half-open mid-back vowel with tenseness, then glide into /li/. - Over-articulating the final /i/ into a diphthong; keep it a crisp, high-front vowel for clarity, especially in rapid speech.
"We arrived early to beat the rush at the stadium."
"The early stages of the project set the tone for what followed."
"He learned the lesson early, before it caused bigger problems."
Pronounce as two syllables, ˈɜːr.li in rhotic accents or ˈɜː.li in non-rhotic. The first syllable bears the primary stress. Start with a mid- to back-central vowel like /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ depending on American rhotacization, then a light /l/ and a clear /i/ in the second syllable. In rapid speech, the second syllable can reduce to a schwa-like offglide before the final consonant cluster, but keep the /l/ clear. Audio resources: Pronounce or Forvo entries for /ˈɜːli/ provide native speaker guidance.
Common mistakes include merging the two syllables into a single quick beat (er-lee is mis-segmented), and pronouncing the first vowel as a pure /e/ or /æ/ sound rather than the /ɜː/ quality. Another error is adding an extra /r/ in non-rhotic accents (ar-lee). Correct by isolating /ɜː/ (or /ɜr/ in rhotic) for the first syllable, then crisp /l/ and /i/; practice with minimal pairs like early/earlier to tune the vowel length and consonant clarity.
In US English, /ˈɜrli/ often features an rhotic /r/ with a lengthened /ɜː/ quality and a darker vowel; /ɜːr/ with a linking /r/ if followed by a consonant. UK English tends toward non-rhotic /ˈɜːli/ with a longer, pure /ɜː/ vowel and a non-rhotic /r/. Australian English is typically non-rhotic with a mid-to-low /ɜː/ or /ɪə/ blend, slightly flattened but still two syllables; the /l/ remains clear. Diphthongization is less pronounced in AU than in some US varieties, keeping a steadier monophthongal /ɜː/.
The difficulty centers on the exact quality of the /ɜː/ vowel and the timing of the /l/ and /i/ in a two-syllable word. In fast speech, the vowel can reduce, the /r/ may become subtle or vanish (non-rhotic contexts), and the /l/ can blur into a vowel blend if not articulated separately. Keeping a steady onset for /ɜː/ and a crisp /l/ is essential. Use slow practice to feel the two distinct syllables before speeding up.
Yes: the contrastive timing between syllables. The first syllable carries main stress and uses a tense /ɜː/ in many varieties, while the second syllable relies on a clear /l/ and a high-front vowel /i/. The transition from /ɜːr/ to /li/ can be tricky in connected speech, especially when followed by consonants in phrases like early on or early stages. Focus on clean separation and a light but precise /l/ before the final /i/.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /r/ and maintain a tense /ɜː/; keep the /l/ light but audible; transition to /i/ with a small tongue raise. IPA: /ˈɜːrli/—note the rhotic r and the secondary vowel quality. - UK: lean toward non-rhotic /ˈɜːli/ with a longer, pure /ɜː/ and light /l/; avoid strong linking to the next word unless context requires it; IPA: /ˈɜːli/. - AU: /ˈɜːli/ with a slightly flatter vowel than UK/US; non-rhotic tendencies; keep /l/ distinct without vowel intrusion. Focus on a clean /ɜː/ and crisp /li/; IPA: /ˈɜːli/.
Early comes from the Old English ærli(e) or ærlice, tied to words meaning “before” or “at the front.” Its earliest senses were tied to position in time or sequence, marking something occurring in advance relative to others. The Proto-Germanic root *aira- or *air- conveyed notions of front or forward, evolving through Old English into eārlice (today’s earliest). By Middle English, the form had sharpened to “early” with a clear sense of precedence, timeliness, and first-stage characterization. Over time, usage broadened to describe events, ages, periods (early morning, early stages), and figurative senses like “early adopter” or “early on” to indicate initial status or proximity to the outset. Across centuries, the semantic field extended from concrete timing to abstract primacy, outlining priority, expedited action, and initial phases in processes, plans, and narratives. Today, “early” is a flexible adjective and adverb that conveys timeliness, precedence, and nascent stages across varied domains, while retaining its historical emphasis on forward placement relative to a standard or expectation.
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Words that rhyme with "early"
-rly sounds
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