3 syllables: might, i, ly. Stress on might.
MEYE-tuh-lee
/ˈmaɪtəli/
mightily is pronounced MEYE-tuh-lee (/ˈmaɪtəli/). It has three syllables (might-i-ly), with the stress on "might". Mightily is an adverb meaning to a great or remarkable extent, often conveying force or intensity. It emphasizes the degree of action or emotion, similar to “with great strength” or “powerfully.” In speech, it typically stresses the first syllable for a crisp, emphatic delivery. The term appears in formal or literary contexts and can describe actions, sounds, or effects.
Mightily is an adverb meaning to a great or remarkable extent, often conveying force or intensity. It emphasizes the degree of action or emotion, similar to “with great strength” or “powerfully.” In speech, it typically stresses the first syllable for a crisp, emphatic delivery. The term appears in formal or literary contexts and can describe actions, sounds, or effects.
- You might default to a quick, single-vowel middle syllable (e.g., /maɪtli/). Fix by clearly isolating the middle /ɪ/ or /ə/ and giving it a full, short vowel before the final /li/. - You may flatten the final /li/ into a soft, vowel-like ending; ensure you articulate the /l/ and the /i/ clearly, so the end has a distinct ‘lee’ sound. Practice a short pause before the final syllable for separation. - Some speakers misplace stress or rhythm in fast speech, turning mightily into may-till-ee; keep stress on the first syllable and deliver three even beats: MIGHT | i | ly. - In fluent speech, you might run the second syllable into the first; maintain a light, distinct transition between /t/ and /ɪ/ to preserve the three-syllable structure.
"He argued mightily against the proposal, leaving little room for compromise."
"The storm raged mightily, tearing branches from trees."
"She shook the tree mightily, trying to dislodge the fruit."
Say MIGHT-uh-lee with three syllables. The first syllable uses a long I: /maɪ/. The second is a light, schwa-like /ə/ or /ɪ/ depending on speed: /tə/ or /təː/. The final is a clear /li/. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈmaɪt.ɪ.li/; stress falls on the first syllable. Picture your mouth starting with a high front vowel, then a relaxed middle vowel, and finish with a clear ‘lee’.
Common errors: flattening the middle syllable to a quick /ɪ/ or /iː/ and running /l/ too early. Some speakers drop the final /li/ or merge /t/ with the following vowel, producing /ˈmaɪdli/ or /ˈmaɪtli/. Correction: clearly separate /maɪt/ and /ɪ.li/ with a brief vowel in the middle; keep the final /li/ as a light, syllabic consonant after a short schwa. Aim for /ˈmaɪ.tɪ.li/ or /ˈmaɪ.ti.li/ depending on rhythm.
US, UK, and AU share the /ˈmaɪ.tɪ.li/ skeleton, but rhoticity affects connected speech and vowel length. UK and AU often maintain a slightly shorter /ɪ/ in the middle than US, and some speakers reduce the first syllable slightly in rapid speech while preserving the long diphthong /aɪ/. US tends to maintain a more pronounced /ɪ/ before the final /li/, with less vowel reduction in careful speech.
It combines a stressed open syllable with a reduced middle syllable and a liquid ending. The sequence /maɪ/ then a mid-central vowel /ɪ/ or /ə/ followed by /li/ requires careful pacing to avoid blending into /maɪtli/ or /maɪli/. Also, the presence of the /t/ can cause a flapped or glottalized articulation in fast speech. Practicing the sequence in slow, then progressively faster tempos helps stabilize the three distinct phonemes.
There is no silent letter in mightily. All three syllables carry sound: /maɪ/ (long I), /tɪ/ or /tə/ (short vowel with light consonant), and /li/ (clear L+ee). The challenge is maintaining distinct syllables and accurate /t/ pronunciation before a lighter vowel in the middle and a light /l/ at the end.
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- US: keep /ˈmaɪ.tɪ.li/ with a strong initial diphthong and a clearly enunciated middle /ɪ/; avoid turning it into /ˈmaɪtli/ by forcing the middle vowel. - UK: you may hear a slightly shorter middle vowel and a crisp /t/ release; ensure non-rhoticity is not affecting the final /li/, which should stay bright. - AU: often similar to UK but with slightly broader vowel colors; maintain clear /ɪ/ and final /li/ with a relaxed jaw. IPA anchors: US /ˈmaɪt.ɪ.li/, UK /ˈmaɪt.ɪ.li/, AU /ˈmaɪt.ɪ.li/. - General: keep the breath flow natural; don’t rush the final /li/ even in fast speech; practice with a metronome to hold three beats per word.
Mightily comes from the adjective might, meaning power or strength, plus the adverbial suffix -ily. The noun might dates back to Old English mihte or miht, related to strength or force, and appears in various Germanic languages with cognates like Old High German mihte. The suffix -ily forms adverbs from adjectives in Middle English/early Modern English, yielding mightily to intensify the manner of an action. The concept of “in a mighty manner” has long been used in English prose and poetry to heighten dramatic effect. Early uses appear in Shakespearean and biblical-inflected prose where words like mighty and mightily describe celestial or martial force. Over time, mightily settled into common usage as a precise adverb for emphatic action, especially in elevated or formal registers, while still appearing in modern narrative and journalism for stylistic emphasis.
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Words that rhyme with "mightily"
-tly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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