2 syllables: hour, ly. Stress on hour.
OWR-lee
/ˈaʊɹli/
hourly is pronounced OWR-lee (/ˈaʊɹli/). It has two syllables (hour-ly), with the stress on "hour". Hourly refers to something occurring or measured every hour. It is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final /li/ sound, often merging the two consonants in natural speech. In context, it can describe wage rates, routines, or scheduling that repeats on an hourly basis. The term emphasizes regular, time-based intervals rather than a total duration.
Hourly refers to something occurring or measured every hour. It is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final /li/ sound, often merging the two consonants in natural speech. In context, it can describe wage rates, routines, or scheduling that repeats on an hourly basis. The term emphasizes regular, time-based intervals rather than a total duration.
"The hourly wage increased after the new contract was signed."
"They check the system status hourly to ensure uptime."
"We offer hourly reminders to take breaks throughout the day."
Pronounce it as /ˈaʊərli/ (US) or /ˈaʊəli/ (UK/AU). Start with the diphthong /aʊ/ as in 'how,' then the rhotic schwa /ər/ or a light /ə/ before the final /li/. The stress is on the first syllable: HOUR-ly. In rapid speech, the /r/ may become less pronounced after non-rhotic accents, but keep the /l/ clear before the final /i/. Audio references: focus on native speech samples for US /ˈaʊɚli/ and UK /ˈaʊəli/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (e.g., saying /ˈaʊæri/), pronouncing the second syllable as a full vowel instead of a reduced /ər/ or /ə/, and lasciating the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. To correct: keep the first syllable stressed /ˈaʊɚ/ or /ˈaʊə/ with a light rhotic off-glide, then go to /li/ with a light, clear /l/ and a short /i/. Practice with minimal pairs: hour vs. hourly to hear the added /li/.
US: /ˈaʊɚli/ with a stronger rhotic /ɹ/ and a clear /ɚ/. UK/AU: /ˈaʊəli/ with a weaker rhotic and a more centralized or schwa-like second vowel; the /l/ is typically clear before /i/. The primary variation is the rhoticity of the /ɹ/ and the degree of vowel reduction in the second syllable. In Australian English, you may hear a slightly more centralized /ə/ and a glided /li/.
The challenge lies in the cluster /aʊɚ/ or /aʊə/ followed by a clear /l/ and a reduced final /i/. The diphthong /aʊ/ requires precise tongue elevation and lip rounding, while the /ɚ/ or /ə/ is a mid-central vowel that can easily blur under fast speech. Additionally, maintaining a short, crisp /l/ before the final /i/ in connected speech demands careful timing and breath management.
The final syllable, -ly, in hourly, behaves as a light syllable with /li/ that often reduces the vowel and softens the consonant cluster. In fast speech, you may hear /li/ collapse toward a light /lɪ/ or even /lɪ/ with an almost syllabic l. The key is to maintain a distinct /l/ and short /i/ to avoid blending with the preceding /r/ or /ə/.
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Hourly derives from hour + -ly, forming an adjective meaning 'by the hour.' The root hour comes from Old English hāra, related to Latin hora and Greek hora, all tied to the concept of a subdivided time period. The suffix -ly signals manner or frequency and is common in English to form adverbs or adjectives describing how often something occurs. The word entered English usage in the medieval period as trade and labor arrangements began to be measured by hours rather than days, and by the 16th–17th centuries it appeared in printed texts describing wage rates and schedules. Over time, hourly shifted from describing wage measurement to broader temporal frequency contexts, retaining its core sense of a fixed interval of sixty minutes. In modern usage, hourly is a frequent modifier in business, logistics, and daily planning, often collocated with nouns like wage, wage-rate, rate, and wage-earning contexts. The concept of measuring time in discrete hours has remained stable, with 'hourly' expanding through corporate, digital, and service industries as work-flows and billing practices standardized around hourly increments. The evolution reflects broader English tendencies to form adjectives from nouns to express frequency and duration, anchored by the ubiquitous unit of time: the hour. First known printed uses surface in the early modern period as a practical descriptor in financial and scheduling discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "hourly"
-rly sounds
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