im-OHSH-nuh-lee
/ɪˈmoʊʃnəli/
emotionally is pronounced im-OHSH-nuh-lee (/ɪˈmoʊʃnəli/). Emotionally describes the manner of expressing or feeling something with intense internal experience or sentiment, often affecting behavior or response. It implies a heightened engagement with emotions, typically influencing judgments, reactions, and social interactions. The term is commonly used in psychology, literature, and everyday speech to denote emotional involvement or sensitivity.
Emotionally describes the manner of expressing or feeling something with intense internal experience or sentiment, often affecting behavior or response. It implies a heightened engagement with emotions, typically influencing judgments, reactions, and social interactions. The term is commonly used in psychology, literature, and everyday speech to denote emotional involvement or sensitivity.
"She spoke emotionally about her childhood, and her voice trembled with feeling."
"The story was emotionally powerful, leaving the audience quietly moved."
"He spoke emotionally and then paused, choosing his words carefully."
Emphasis is on the second syllable: e-MO-tion-ally. IPA US/UK/AU: ɪˈmoʊ.ʃən.əli (US), ɪˈməʊ.ʃən.əli (UK), ɪˈməʊ.ʃən.əli (AU). Start with a light unstressed 'e' or 'eh', then a strong ‘MO’ with a long o sound, followed by ‘tion’ as shun, and finish with ‘ally’ as uh-lee. Keep the /t/ soft in rapid speech and articulate the final syllable clearly in careful speech.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing the stress, saying e-MO-tion-al-ly or e-mo-TION-ally; (2) Pronouncing /t/ as a hard plosive in rapid speech instead of a light or flapped t; (3) Deteriorating the /ɪ/ or /ə/ before -tion-, leading to a blurred syllable. Correction: practice the sequence e-MO-tion-ally with a clear /t/ or flapped /ɾ/ in casual speech, maintain a short, unstressed initial vowel, and ensure the final -ly is reduced to -li or -lee depending on formality.
US: stronger rhoticity and clearer /ɪ/ in the first syllable, longer /oʊ/ in MO, and a clear /əlˌi/ at end. UK: shorter /oʊ/ may be closer to /əʊ/, non-rhotic tendencies with a lighter /r/ influence, and vowels may be clipped slightly. AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel qualities; the /ɪ/ may sound closer to /i/ to some speakers, and the final -ly often less emphasized in casual speech.
Because it combines a long stressed diphthong (ɪˈmoʊ) with a breathy or lightly released /t/ and the sequence -tion- (ʃən) which can blur in fluent speech. The final -ally adds an extra syllable /-əli/ that many learners compress wrongly. The consonant cluster and intonation must flow smoothly: e-MO-tion-ally requires precise timing across four syllables, with stress clarity maintained through the middle of the word.
The middle 'tion' behaves as a 'shən' sound, but in rapid speech it can be pronounced as a quick 'šən' or even a silent-ish flavor in casual contexts. You’ll want to keep the /ʃ/ quality in that segment and avoid over-emphasizing the t; let the airflow ease from /oʊ/ into /ʃən/ fluidly, then land softly on /əli/ for the final syllable.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "emotionally"!
US: strong rhotics, clearer final syllable; UK: non-rhotic, slight vowel reductions; AU: broad vowels with similar rhoticity patterns to US in casual speech. Vowel notes: /ɪ/ vs /iː/ in initial syllable; /ˈmoʊ/ vs /ˈməʊ/ in UK; final /li/ often reduced to /li/ or /liː/ depending on tempo.
Emotionally derives from the noun emotion, which traces to Old French esmotion, from Latin emovere ‘to move, excite,’ from e- ‘out’ + motionem ‘motion, movement,’ ultimately linked to motus ‘motion.’ The suffix -ally, from Middle English -ally, forms adverbs and adjectives indicating manner. The core sense shift began in English in the late 16th to 17th centuries as “emotion” referred to inner feelings, with -al/ -ly affixes yielding “emotional” and “emotionally” to describe the manner or degree of emotional expression. Early usage framed emotional expression in drama and rhetoric, later broadening to psychology, literature, and everyday speech. The path from mere feeling to demonstrable affect in language reflects centuries of philosophical and scientific inquiry into affect, sentiment, and social communication. First known uses appear in early modern English texts discussing affect and expression, with “emotionally” appearing as a common adverbial form by the 18th and 19th centuries as discourse around psychology and character development expanded.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "emotionally" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "emotionally" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "emotionally" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "emotionally"
-lly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
See how this word is used in our articles
