2 syllables: near, ly. Stress on near.
NIR-lee
/ˈnɪɹli/
nearly is pronounced NIR-lee (/ˈnɪɹli/). It has two syllables (near-ly), with the stress on "near". Nearly means almost, but not quite. It is used to indicate a small margin from a threshold or result. In everyday use it often introduces an estimation or an approximation, with nuance that something is very close to a certain point or outcome yet not fully achieved.
Nearly means almost, but not quite. It is used to indicate a small margin from a threshold or result. In everyday use it often introduces an estimation or an approximation, with nuance that something is very close to a certain point or outcome yet not fully achieved.
"The project is nearly finished, just a few more tests remain."
"She nearly dropped the vase, but caught it at the last moment."
"The hike was nearly 10 miles, but we turned around early."
Pronounce it as /ˈnɜrli/ in US, or /ˈnɜːli/ in UK/AU. Start with a stressed first syllable that rhymes with ‘her’ but with an /ɜː/ vowel; the second syllable is a relaxed /li/ as in ‘lee’. Keep the jaw a touch open, avoid rhoticity in non-rhotic varieties. Listen for a clean, long first vowel followed by a quick, light -ly ending. Audio reference: try online dictionaries with sound clips.
Common mistakes: treating it as two separate words (nee-lee) or reducing the first vowel to a schwa; misplacing /ɜː/ as /ɜ/ or dipping to /e/; overpronouncing the -ly ending as /-liː/ in some accents. Corrections: keep the first vowel as /ɜː/ (UK/AU) or /ɜr/ (US before /r/), but avoid an extra vowel at the boundary. End with a concise /li/ rather than a drawn-out /liː/. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the /ɜː/ and the /l/ + /i/ sequence.
In US English, /ˈnɜrli/ with rhotic /r/ after the vowel; the /ɜr/ cluster often features an r-colored schwa. UK/AU varieties tend to two-syllable /ˈnɜːli/ with a longer /ɜː/ and non-rhoticity in some UK varieties reduces the rhotic flavor. Australian pronunciation sits between, with a rounded but fronted /ɜː/ and a light, fast /li/ ending. Vowel length and rhoticity adjust the overall resonance; keep the first vowel prominent in all accents.
The challenge centers on the /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ nucleus before the /li/ coda. It requires precise tongue position (mid-back raised to central) and a clear /l/ onset transitioning into a quick /i/. Many speakers merge /ɜː/ with /ɪ/ or slip into a schwa in rapid speech, losing the tight vowel quality. Achieving crisp /ɜː/ plus clean /li/ demands focused practice, especially in connected speech.
Pay attention to the transition from the vowel nucleus to the /l/ plus /i/ sequence. Don’t insert a vowel between /ɜː/ and /l/; keep the /l/ light and immediately followed by /i/. This creates the distinct /ɜːli/ pattern. In American English, ensure rhoticity remains smooth before the /l/: /ɜr.li/ rather than /ɜ.li/.
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Nearly comes from Middle English nerely, a blend of neer (near) + -ly, reflecting a sense of being in close proximity. The form evolved through Old English neer and nera, gradually standardizing to nearly in the early modern period as a common adverbial modifier meaning 'almost.' The semantic shift centers on proximity in space or degree, extending to nearly a threshold or limit. By the 16th–17th centuries, nearly was used more figuratively: nearly finished, nearly impossible, conveying a sense of closeness to a state rather than exactness. The word aligns with other near-derivatives in Germanic languages, where compounds and adverbs tighten or loosen a boundary, reinforcing the nuance of approximation. First known use in a written English text appears in the late medieval period, with broader literary adoption by the early modern era, paralleling developments in vocabulary for precision and approximation in scientific and everyday language.
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Words that rhyme with "nearly"
-ely sounds
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