Immediately is an adverb meaning at once or without delay; it can also function as a sentence-initial adjunct indicating that an action should be done promptly. In careful speech it often conveys urgency, and in written form it anchors timing relative to another event. Note: your prompt lists noun, but standard usage treats it as an adverb; the practical pronunciation guide below assumes the common adverb usage.
"I called him immediately after the meeting."
"Immediately there was silence in the room."
"The device shut down immediately when the power failed."
"Please respond immediately if you hear a fire alarm."
Immediately comes from the Middle French immediat, from Latin immediatus, from imminere ‘to hang over, threaten’, from in- ‘in, on’ + minuere ‘to diminish’. The modern sense of ‘without delay’ evolved in English from the idea of doing something at once or without mediation, with the adverbial suffix -ly forming in the late Old English to Middle English period. The earliest uses trace to the 14th century, with increasing frequency in early modern writing as written English adopted more precise adverbial modifiers for timing. The word’s morphing also reflects a shift from a more general ‘directly, immediately’ to a stronger sense of urgency in both spoken and written registers. Over time it has become a standard adverb in both formal and informal contexts, though some readers may misplace the stress or swallow syllables in rapid speech in casual speech. Modern usage commonly pairs Immediately with verbs expressing action or command, reinforcing immediacy in directive language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Immediately" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Immediately" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Immediately"
-ely sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Phonetically, it’s /ɪˈmiː.di.ət.li/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /ˈmiː/ as in 'meat'. The sequence flows as i-MEET-tee-ət-lee, with a light schwa in -ət- and a clear final -li. Tip: keep the lips rounded for /iː/ then relax for /ɪ/ and /ə/; end with /li/ briskly. Listen for the rhythm: two strong segments (i-MEET) followed by quick, lighter syllables. Audio reference: try a slow articulation first, then speed up to normal cadence.
Common errors include swallowing the /d/ in the middle (say /-di-ɪt-/ and keep the /d/ clear) and misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (you want /ɪˈmiː/ with stress on the second). Another frequent error is reducing the final -ly too abruptly to /-li/ or mispronouncing the middle sequence as /i:di-ət/; aim for /iː.di.ət.li/ with a light, quick /ə/ before /t/ and a crisp /l/ at the end.
In US English, expect /ɪˈmiː.di.ət.li/ with a rhotic r influence not present in this word (there is no r sound in this word itself). UK and AU accents keep the same sequence but may reduce the final /li/ to a lighter, quicker glide. UK speakers might slightly flatten the /iː/ to a shorter vowel before /d/; AU tends to be more clipped overall with a brisk /t/ and a lighter final /li/. Core stress remains on the second syllable across accents.
The difficulty lies in the rapid sequence of unstressed syllables after the stressed /ˈmiː/ and the need to articulate a clean /d/ and a quickly articulated /li/ at the end. The central vowels /ɪ/ and /ə/ can blur in fast speech, and many speakers under-articulate the middle syllables, making the word sound like /ɪˈmiːd.jətli/. Focusing on the precise vowel sounds and keeping a steady tempo helps maintain intelligibility.
A unique aspect is the cluster after the primary stress: the sequence /di.ət.li/ includes a light /ət/ schwa-reduced syllable that can easily be swallowed in casual speech. The challenge is preserving a clean /d/ onset after /ˈmiː/ and then delivering a crisp final /li/ rather than a dragged, indistinct ending. Practicing with slow, syllable-toted iterations helps ensure each phoneme is heard.
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