5 syllables: In, tu, it, ive, ly. Stress on tu.
in-TOO-it-iv-lee
/ˌɪˈntuɪtɪvli/
Intuitively is pronounced in-TOO-it-iv-lee (/ˌɪˈntuɪtɪvli/). It has five syllables (In-tu-it-ive-ly), with the stress on "tu". Intuitively is an adverb describing understanding or knowing something instinctively or without needing conscious reasoning. It conveys a sense of immediate, gut-level comprehension rather than calculated analysis. Used to indicate knowledge gained through intuition, habit, or quick perception in a given situation.
adverbIntuitively is an adverb describing understanding or knowing something instinctively or without needing conscious reasoning. It conveys a sense of immediate, gut-level comprehension rather than calculated analysis. Used to indicate knowledge gained through intuition, habit, or quick perception in a given situation.
"She intuits the market’s mood intuitively, without analyzing every chart."
"You’ll respond intuitively in a crisis, drawing on practiced experience."
"The system seems to work intuitively once you learn the basic controls."
Say in-ˈtuː.ɪ.tɪv.li in US/UK English depending on your accent. The key is stressing the second syllable: /ɪnˈtuɪ.ɪ.tɪv.li/ (US) or /ɪnˈtjuː.ɪ.tɪv.li/ (UK). Start with a light”ih” sound, move to a strong schwa-like second vowel, and finish with a clear '-tiv-ly' cluster. IPA guide: US /ɪnˈtuɪɪt.li/, UK /ɪnˈtjuːɪt.li/ or /ɪnˈtjuːɪt.li/. Listen to the rhythm and aim for three distinct syllables before the final -ly. Audio reference can be checked on Forvo or Pronounce resources.
Common errors: flattening the /juː/ into a simple /uː/ or misplacing stress: you want the primary stress on the second syllable; avoid pronunciations like in-tyoo-uh-lee. Another mistake is pronouncing the /t/ as a glottal stop in the middle of the word; maintain a light alveolar /t/ followed by a clear /ɪ/. Ensure the final -ly doesn’t become a separate syllable with extraneous vowels. Practice the sequence: in- + tuːɪ + tɪ + vli, not in-tuh-+i- + t- + lee.
In US English, /ɪnˈtuɪɪt.li/ with a strong second-syllable diphthong /tuɪ/. UK English tends to favor /ɪnˈtjuːɪt.li/ with a clearer /juː/ onset and less reduction in the middle. Australian often merges the /juː/ toward /jə/ or /ɪə/ depending on speaker, leading to /ɪnˈtʃuːɪt.li/ or /ɪnˈtʃuɪt.li/ variations. Rhoticity is less influential here since the word doesn’t contain r, but vowel quality in the /ɪ/ and the subsequent /ɪ/ can shift slightly toward centralized vowels in some Australian speakers.
The difficulty lies in the sequence and length of vowels: the key /tuɪɪ/ involves a tight glide from /t/ into a high front diphthong that quickly shifts to a short /ɪ/ followed by /t/ and /li/. The multi-syllabic rhythm can tempt you to flatten the middle syllable, and the final -ly cluster can blur if you overemphasize the /l/ or the /i/ sounds. Focus on keeping each syllable crisp and the secondary /ɪ/ in the third syllable short but audible.
Yes: the second syllable houses a strong diphthong /tuɪ/ where the tongue glides from /t/ to a high front position before transitioning to the following /ɪ/. This glide is critical for naturalness and avoids the common slip into /tuː/ or /tjʊ/. Maintaining the three-syllable rhythm with a distinct light final -ly ensures the word sounds fluent rather than clipped.
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Intuitively derives from the Latin word intuitus, meaning ‘a looking at, a glance, a first impression,’ from intueri ‘to look at, to contemplate’ and the past participle -tus. The English verb intuitive/intuition appeared in the 17th–18th centuries, drawing on Latin roots intueri and the -ive suffix to form adjectives, later adverbs ending in -ly. The sense development moved from “having a quick perception” to “done in a way that relies on insight rather than reasoning.” The modern adverb form intuitively appears as a direct extension of intuitive, emphasizing the manner of perception rather than the source. First known uses appear in philosophical and psychological texts exploring how people know things without conscious thought, with broader adoption in everyday language by the late 19th to 20th centuries as discourse on perception and instinct grew more common.
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Words that rhyme with "Intuitively"
-uly sounds
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