4 syllables: Sep, a, rate, ly. Stress on Sep.
SEP-uh-rayt-lee
/ˈsɛpəɹeɪtli/
Separately is pronounced SEP-uh-rayt-lee (/ˈsɛpəɹeɪtli/). It has four syllables (Sep-a-rate-ly), with the stress on "Sep". Separately is an adverb meaning in a manner that keeps things apart or distinctly from one another, or with reference to each item individually. It is used to indicate disconnection or individuality in actions, thoughts, or items. The term often appears in contexts requiring separate treatment, distribution, or consideration, and contrasts with collectively or jointly.
adverbSeparately is an adverb meaning in a manner that keeps things apart or distinctly from one another, or with reference to each item individually. It is used to indicate disconnection or individuality in actions, thoughts, or items. The term often appears in contexts requiring separate treatment, distribution, or consideration, and contrasts with collectively or jointly.
How to Pronounce Separately
"Please store the chemicals separately to avoid any reaction."
"The two issues were discussed separately in the meeting."
"We shipped the products separately to each customer."
IPA guidance: US /təˈsep.ə.rət.li/, UK /təˈsep.ə.rət.li/; AU follows the same pattern. Primary stress on the second syllable, ‘SEP,’ with secondary stress possible on the third? In careful speech you’d emphasize the “sep” and the “rat” cluster: tuh-SEP-uh-ruht-lee. Start with a light /t/ then a clear /s/ onset, followed by a mid central vowel /ə/ in the first open syllable, then /p/ with a brief release, then /ə/ again, then /r/ linking into /ət/ and finally /li/. Pay attention to the /r/ coloration in rhotic accents. Audio resources: listen to Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries or Forvo for native pronunciations.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (e.g., /ˈsep.ə.reli/ or /ˌsep.əˈret.li/), over-weakening the middle syllables causing loss of /ə/ or muddled /r/, and incorrect /t/ or /d/ release before the /l/ in the final syllables. To correct: practice the two primary stress points: the “SEP” and the “-rat-” segment, ensure a clear /p/ before the /ə/ and keep the /r/ distinct before the /ət/. Use minimal pairs like separate vs separately to feel the beat. Listen to native samples and mimic rhythm.
US and UK share /təˈsep.ə.rət.li/ with rhoticity more pronounced in US; UK may have a slightly more centralized or rounded /ə/ in unstressed positions and a possibly less pronounced rhotic /r/ in non-rhotic varieties. Australian tends to be similar to GA US with a clear /r/ when linking, but with slightly broader vowel quality in /ɪ/ and /eɪ/ sequences; some speakers insert a light vowel after /t/ before /r/ creating /tə.sep.ə.rət.li/. The final syllable tends to be /li/ in all three, though vowel quality can drift toward /lɪ/ for some speakers.
The difficulty stems from a multi-syllabic word with rapid, successive consonants and multiple schwa vowels. The /ˈsep/ onset requires a precise stop release, followed by a reduced vowel /ə/ in the second syllable and a cluster /rət/ before the final /li/. The timing and stress pattern—secondary light on the third syllable and primary on the second—can trip non-native speakers, causing a hurried middle syllable or misplacement of the primary stress. Practice with rhythm drills and slow-to-fast progression helps stabilize the sequence.
No silent letters, but the cluster sequence /sep.ə.rət.li/ includes a subtle /ɹ/ after the /ə/ and before /t/ in rhotic accents. The difficulty is not silent letters but the rapid transition from the stressed /ˈsep/ to the /ə/ and the adjacent /r/ before /ət/. Tip: practice the sequence /-sep-ə-rət-/ in slow, then tempo, ensuring the /p/ release, /ə/ vowels, and /r/ are clean and distinct.
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Separately comes from the adverbial use of separate, which itself derives from the Latin separatus, past participle of separare (to separate), from separ-, ‘apart, asunder,’ + -are (verbal suffix). The root separ- traces to the Latin siphon of separate, ultimately linked to the Proto-Italic separāre, and further to the PIE root *ser- meaning ‘to cut, split.’ The word entered English in the late Middle English period as separate, with the -ly suffix added to form the adverb meaning ‘in a separate manner.’ Over time, the sense broadened to cover distinctions made between items or actions, and by the 17th–18th centuries, it commonly described instructions, distributions, or descriptions that treated elements one by one, rather than as a group. The modern usage emphasizes a qualitative separation or individualized treatment, often in formal or technical contexts like science, mathematics, law, or logistics.
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Words that rhyme with "Separately"
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# Master Guide for Separately
