6 syllables: ge, o, graph, ic, al, ly. Stress on graph.
jee-uh-GRAF-ik-uh-lee
/ˌdʒiəˈɡɹæfɪkəli/
geographically is pronounced jee-uh-GRAF-ik-uh-lee (/ˌdʒiəˈɡɹæfɪkəli/). It has six syllables (ge-o-graph-ic-al-ly), with the stress on "graph". Geographically relates to geography or the physical distribution of something on the Earth's surfaces. It describes spatial aspects, locations, and regions in terms of maps, coordinates, and spatial analysis. The term is commonly used in academic or research contexts to discuss where an object or phenomenon occurs. It emphasizes dimensions such as distance, region, and place-based characteristics.
Geographically relates to geography or the physical distribution of something on the Earth's surfaces. It describes spatial aspects, locations, and regions in terms of maps, coordinates, and spatial analysis. The term is commonly used in academic or research contexts to discuss where an object or phenomenon occurs. It emphasizes dimensions such as distance, region, and place-based characteristics.
"The project examines geographically distinct patterns of rainfall across the continent."
"Geographically, the island is closer to the mainland than the neighboring archipelago."
"Researchers mapped the data to show how the phenomenon varies geographically."
You say /ˌdʒiː.əˈɡræf.ɪ.kli/ in US and UK spellings, with primary stress on the third syllable (gra). Breakdown: /dʒiː/ (jee) + /ə/ (schwa) + /ˈɡræf/ (graf) + /ɪ/ (ih) + /kli/ (klee). A useful cue is to say GEO + GRAPH + I + CALLY fast, but place the strongest emphasis on the GRAPH syllable to avoid a flat delivery. Listen for the lilting three-beat rhythm: ge-o-GRAPH-i-cally.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing emphasis on ge- or -cal- rather than gra-), pronouncing ‘graph’ as ‘graf-ic’ with a hard c at the end, and running the vowels together into /dʒiːoʊˈɡræfiˌkli/ instead of the shorter /ˌdʒiː.əˈɡræf.ɪ.kli/. Correct by marking the main stress on gra, shortening the second vowel to schwa, and keeping the final -kli as a quick, light ['kli].
In US, you’ll hear /ˌdʒiː.əˈɡræfɪ.kli/ with rhoticity and a clear /ɡræf/. UK often softens the final syllable and keeps a crisp /ˈɡræfɪ.kli/ with less length on /iː/ in the first syllable. Australian tends to reduce the first /iː/ to a shorter /ɪ/ and keep a concise /kli/. Across accents, the primary features are syllable stress on gra-, a short schwa after /ji/ or /dʒiː/ and the final /kli/ cluster; rhythm stays trochaic-ish with three notable syllables carrying tension.
It blends four syllables with a secondary stress pattern and a tricky enunciation of -graph- versus -phy-, plus the informal vowel reductions in the first two syllables. The sequence /ˌdʒiː.əˈɡræf.ɪ.kli/ demands moving quickly from a long /iː/ to a reduced /ə/ and then articulating /ˈɡræf/ before a short /ɪ/ and the light /kli/. The choke point is keeping rhythm intact while not letting the /ɡræf/ fragment into a heavier 'graphics' feel.
Yes—watch the /ˈɡræf/ segment as the peak; don’t turn it into /ˈɡræfɪk/ with a heavy final /k/. Also keep the initial /dʒiː/ smooth and not overly elongated, and avoid inserting extra vowels between -graph- and -i- (i.e., avoid /ɡræfɪˌi/). Aim for a crisp, fast follow-through from the stressed gra- into -ph- (which is /f/ in this word), and finish with a light /kli/ that seals the word without dragging.
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Geographically derives from the combination of geography, a discipline that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth, with the suffix -ically, indicating an adverbial or adjectival form. Geography itself comes from Late Latin geographia, borrowed from Greek geographia (ge = earth, graphia = writing or description). The Greek root geo- (earth) and -graphia (to write or describe) date to classical antiquity, referencing the description of Earth’s surfaces. In English, geographic appeared in the 18th century, evolving into geographically by the 19th century as a standard adverbial and adjectival form to express “in a geographical sense.” The word solidified in academic usage as geographers, cartographers, and social scientists increasingly needed a precise modifier for spatial analysis, location-based phenomena, and distribution studies. Over time, geographically has maintained a strong emphasis on earth-based locations, regions, and spatial relationships, distinguishing it from more general terms like spatial or places-related language. First known uses appear in scholarly texts discussing maps and regional studies, and by the modern era its usage spans geology, anthropology, epidemiology, and environmental sciences. The evolution reflects the growth of geography as a rigorous discipline concerned with how phenomena vary across different places and landscapes.
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Words that rhyme with "geographically"
-lly sounds
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