3 syllables: ner, vous, ly. Stress on ner.
NUR-vuh-slee
/ˈnɝvəsli/
nervously is pronounced NUR-vuh-slee (/ˈnɝvəsli/). It has three syllables (ner-vous-ly), with the stress on "ner". Nervously is an adverb describing a state of feeling worried or anxious. It typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or whole clauses to convey a sense of tension or unease in action or speech. The word often appears in contexts involving anticipation, risk, or social interaction, signaling that the subject’s behavior or response is affected by nerves.
Nervously is an adverb describing a state of feeling worried or anxious. It typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or whole clauses to convey a sense of tension or unease in action or speech. The word often appears in contexts involving anticipation, risk, or social interaction, signaling that the subject’s behavior or response is affected by nerves.
- You confuse the /ɜːr/ with /ɜː/ or /ɪ/; to fix, practice the initial vowel with a rhotic hint, then release into /r/ if your accent supports it. - The middle syllable often becomes a weak /ə/ too short; ensure it has a full but reduced vowel and a clear /v/ or /f/ transition into /əs/. - Final -ly is fast or merged; practice slowing to clearly enunciate /li/ or /liː/ depending on accent. ullets: • Practice isolating each syllable: Ner - vəs - ly; then combine while keeping stress on Ner. • Use minimal pairs like ‘nervous’ vs ‘nervously’ to feel the added syllable. • Record and compare with a native speaker to check the rhythm and mouth positions.
"She tapped her foot nervously as she waited for the interview to start."
"He glanced around nervously before answering the question."
"The crowd murmured nervously, unsure of what would happen next."
Pronounce it as /ˈnɜːrvəsli/ in US and UK, with three syllables: NER- vuhs- lee. The primary stress is on the first syllable: NER-. Start with a mid-back vowel /ɜː/ (like 'fur' without the r coloring in non-rhotic varieties). The second syllable uses a schwa /ə/ or a reduced /ə/ in rapid speech, and the final syllable is /li/. Mouth position: jaw drops slightly for /ɜːr/ in US, lips relaxed, tip of tongue raised toward the alveolar ridge for the /r/ in rhotic varieties. In non-rhotic UK speech, the /r/ is largely not pronounced before a consonant.
Common errors: (1) Dropping or misplacing the stress, pronouncing it as ner-VOUS-ly or ner- veus-ly. (2) Merging the /ɜːr/ into a simple /ɜː/ or /ɪ/ sound, leading to an over-short first syllable. (3) Slurring the final -ly into -ly with weak /i/ or /ɪ/ vowel. Correction: stress the first syllable /ˈnɜːr/ with the /ɜː/ vowel and clearly vocalize the /r/ if you’re rhotic; keep the middle schwa /ə/ and finish with /li/ clearly. Practice saying NER-vəs-lee slowly, then speed up while preserving the three distinct morphemes.
In US English, use rhotic /r/ in /ˈnɜːrvəsli/ with a clear /r/ and a longer /ɜː/. UK English tends to be non-rhotic or less rhotic, so /ˈnɜːvəsli/ may drop the /r/ in some accents before vowels; the /ɜː/ vowel remains, with a clipped /l/ at the end. Australian English often features a fronted /ɜː/ toward /ɜː/ with a less pronounced postvocalic /r/ but still clear final /li/; the final /li/ should remain distinct. Pay attention to rhotacism: US retains /r/ whereas UK often reduces it.
Two main challenges: (1) The three-syllable rhythm where the first syllable bears strong stress; you must accurately produce /ˈnɜːr/ with the /ɜː/ vowel and the subsequent /r/ or lack thereof depending on accent. (2) The final -ly adds a syllable that often reduces in rapid speech, but in careful speech you should pronounce /li/ strongly. The combination of a strong initial stress, a mid-back vowel, and a clean final consonant cluster /zli/ or /sli/ creates difficulty for non-native speakers. Practice slow enunciation, then accelerate while preserving clarity.
Why does the middle syllable use a neutral vowel /ə/ and what role does /v/ play in the second syllable? The middle syllable carries a reduced vowel, often schwa /ə/ or a close-mid /ɪ/ depending on speaker; the /v/ in 'nerv' links the /ɜːr/ with /v/, producing a slight transition between the first and second syllables. Ensuring the /v/ is not merged with /b/ or /f/ is key for natural flow. Listening to native models, aim for a crisp /v/ followed by the light /əs/.”]} ,
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- US: Maintain rhotic /r/ in /ˈnɜːrvəsli/ with a longer /ɜː/ and a clear /r/; final /li/ is light but distinct. - UK: Often less pronounced /r/ before consonants; focus on /ˈnɜːvəsli/ with a subtle /r/ only if your dialect preserves rhoticity; keep middle /ə/. - AU: Similar to US in rhoticity? typically non-rhotic; aim for /ˈnɜːvə(s)li/ with a barely audible /r/ and a clean vowels; keep final /li/ crisp. Use IPA cues to fine-tune vowels, especially /ɜː/ vs /ə/.
Nervously comes from the adjective nervous, which itself derives from the Latin nervosus meaning ‘sinewy, tense, anxious’, from nervus ‘nerve, sinew’. The transition into English retained the sense of ‘pertaining to the nerves’ and developed into ‘anxious, easily excited’ by the late Middle English period. Nervous appeared in English by the 15th century with senses including “causing fear or anxiety” and later expanded to describe states of mental agitation. The adverbial form nervously emerged as English syntax allowed adding -ly to adjectives to form adverbs, signaling manner or degree of an action. The word’s usage broadened in Romantic and modern periods to describe the temperament of a person in social, professional, or performative contexts, maintaining a core sense of restrained or heightened arousal affecting behavior.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "nervously" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "nervously"
-sly sounds
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