4 syllables: man, i, fest, ly. Stress on man.
MAN-uh-fest-lee
/ˈmænəfɛstli/
manifestly is pronounced MAN-uh-fest-lee (/ˈmænəfɛstli/). It has four syllables (man-i-fest-ly), with the stress on "man". Manifestly means in a way that is obvious or clearly evident; in a manner that is plainly shown or demonstrated. The term emphasizes clarity of evidence or appearance, often used to assert that something is true beyond reasonable doubt. It is typically employed in formal or analytical contexts to stress conspicuousness or undeniability.
Manifestly means in a way that is obvious or clearly evident; in a manner that is plainly shown or demonstrated. The term emphasizes clarity of evidence or appearance, often used to assert that something is true beyond reasonable doubt. It is typically employed in formal or analytical contexts to stress conspicuousness or undeniability.
- You might skip the secondary stress and compress MAN-ə- into one syllable; practice maintaining the MAN as a distinct syllable and place light emphasis on FEST as a secondary beat. - The middle /fɛst/ can be mispronounced as /fest/ with no pause; keep the /f/ crisp followed by /ɛ/ and /s/ then /t/. - The final -ly is often merged too quickly; aim for a short, clear -li ending, not a prolonged vowel. - Vowel drift: the /æ/ in MAN should be bright; avoid reducing it toward /ə/ in fast speech. - Stress misplacement: ensure MAN is primary stress, and FEST carries secondary emphasis; rushing can flatten the rhythm. - If you’re a non-native speaker, your tongue may overshoot the /n/ or /m/; keep a smooth nasal onset before /ə/.
"The defendant was manifestly innocent based on the unambiguous alibi and witness testimonies."
"Her disappointment was manifestly evident in her slumped shoulders and quiet voice."
"The policy was manifestly beneficial, improving efficiency and reducing errors across departments."
Pronounce as /ˈmæn.əˌfɛst.li/. The primary stress lands on the first syllable MAN, with secondary stress on the fes- syllable, and the final -ly pronounced as a quick lee. Tip: think ‘MAN-uh-FEST-lee,’ keeping the /æ/ in MAN bright and short, and the /ɛ/ in FEST as a clear, mid vowel. Practice with breath to avoid trailing sounds and maintain even rhythm.
Common errors include: 1) Slurring the middle /fɛst/ into /fest/ or misplacing secondary stress; keep /ˌfɛst/ as a distinct secondary beat. 2) Over-angling the final -ly into a separate syllable or reducing it to /li/ without the clear /l/ transition; present as /-li/ smoothly. 3) Incorrect /æ/ vowel in MAN, often pronounced as /e/ or /a/ depending on dialect. Correct by using a bright, short /æ/ in MAN and a crisp /ɛ/ in FEST. 4) Dropping the consonant cluster in the middle; articulate /m/, /n/, /f/, /ɛ/, /s/, /t/ cleanly.
US tends to keep a high front /æ/ in MAN with schwa-like /ə/ in the second syllable, and a clear /fɛst/ before -ly. UK often maintains a slightly longer /æ/ and a crisper /t/; non-rhotacization isn’t relevant here but intonation may drop slightly at the final syllable. Australian tends to a more centralized /æ/ toward /ə/ in unstressed syllables, with less prominent /l/ velarization and a lighter final /li/. All share /ˈmæn.əˌfɛst.li/ but vowel quality and syllable timing differ subtly.
It combines a stressed three-beat structure MAN-ə-FEST-ly with a mid, tense /fɛst/ cluster and a light, quick -ly ending. The middle /fɛst/ can blur with /fɛst/ if you don’t produce the clear /f/ and /st/ sequence, and the /æ/ in MAN must stay bright. The three-syllable rhythm makes it easy to misplace stress or elide the final -ly. Slow, precise articulation helps keep the secondary stress and consonant sequencing intact.
In manifestly, the /t/ in the root is a hard, unreleased /t/. You should articulate a clear /t/ before the final /lɪ/ sequence, rather than replacing it with a voiced or glottal stop. The phoneme sequence is /mæn.əˈfɛst/ + /li/; ensure the /t/ is crisp and followed immediately by the /l/ of the -ly suffix, producing a clean boundary between /t/ and /l/.
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- US: maintain the /æ/ in MAN as a bright front vowel; keep /ə/ in the second syllable light but present; stress on MAN with secondary stress on FEST, then a crisp /li/. - UK: slightly sharper /t/ and crisper /fɛst/; the /ə/ may be a bit more centralized; the rhythm remains three-syllable with clear secondary stress. - AU: more relaxed vowel quality; /æ/ may lean toward /a/ or /ɐ/ in some speakers; keep the /l/ in -ly unobtrusive and the final syllable quick. - IPA references: US /ˈmæ.nəˌfɛst.li/; UK /ˈmæn.ɪˌfɛst.li/; AU /ˈmæ.nəˌfɛst.li/. - General tip: practice with a mirror to monitor mouth opening for MAN and FEST; keep lips neutral in the second vowel to avoid rounding and vocal tension.
Manifestly derives from Middle French manifeste and Latin manifestus, meaning ‘open, obvious, or clear.’ The Latin root manifestus is composed of the prefix “man-” (hand, betraying something openly or by hand) and the suffix “-festus” (made known, shown). In medieval and early modern English, manifest could function as an adjective meaning ‘obvious’ and as a verb meaning ‘to make public’ or ‘to reveal.’ By the 16th century, manifestly emerged as an adverb form meaning ‘in a manifest way; clearly’ to intensify statements about evidence or appearance. The sense shift toward “clearly evident” aligns with analytic and legal discourse where conclusions must be beyond doubt. Across centuries, manifestly maintained its strand of overt presentation and undeniability, remaining common in formal rhetoric, legal writing, and scholarly critique. First known usage attested in legal and theological prose of early modern English, with widespread attestation by the 17th–18th centuries in writings arguing for obvious conclusions based on direct signs and proofs.
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