suhk-SES-iv-lee
/səˈksɛsɪvli/
successively is pronounced suhk-SES-iv-lee (/səˈksɛsɪvli/). Successively describes an action performed in a sequence, one after another, emphasizing the order of events or steps. It often appears in formal or analytical writing to indicate progression through stages. The term conveys continuity in time or order and is commonly used in technical or evaluative contexts.
Successively describes an action performed in a sequence, one after another, emphasizing the order of events or steps. It often appears in formal or analytical writing to indicate progression through stages. The term conveys continuity in time or order and is commonly used in technical or evaluative contexts.
"The algorithms were tested successively under varying conditions to ensure reliability."
"Researchers collected data from participants and analyzed results successively to identify trends."
"Properties were observed successively, from color change to crystallization, in a controlled sequence."
Break it as sək-ˈses-əv-lee. The primary stress falls on the second syllable: -CESS-. Start with a schwa, then /ˈsɛs/ as in 'secondary', followed by /-əv-/ and a final clear /li/ with a light 'ee' sound. IPA: US /səkˈsesɪvli/, UK /səˈsesɪvli/, AU /səˈsesɪvli/. Pay attention to the yawn-like /ɪ/ in the 'sive' portion and keep the 's' sounds crisp to avoid blending.
Mistakes include misplacing stress (stressing the first syllable 'su-'), slurring the 'cess' into 'sess', and reducing the middle /ɪ/ too much (say /ˈses-ə-vli/). Corrections: ensure primary stress on the second syllable (ˈCESS); pronounce /sɪ/ or /ɪ/ clearly in the 'sive' part, and end with a crisp /li/. Practice with minimal pairs: 'success' vs 'successively' helps hear the extra -ively ending and the two unstressed syllables.
US: /səkˈsesɪvli/, rhotic and with a clear /ɪ/ in 'sive'. UK: /səˈsesɪvli/, non-rhotic but similar vowel timing; AU: /səˈsesɪvli/, often with tighter vowel space and slight vowel rounding. The main differences lie in vowel quality in the first unstressed syllable and the realization of /r/ (absent in UK/AU). Overall rhythm remains: weak-STRONG-weak-weak with second syllable stressed.
Because it stacks a shortened unstressed syllable prefix (sə/ sɪk-), a stressed 'CESS' chunk, and two light endings '-ive-ly', which can lead to vowel reduction and clumping of consonants. The sequence requires precise timing: the 's' cluster at the boundary of -cess- and -ive-, plus maintaining a crisp /v/ before /li/. Keeping the syllables evenly paced and avoiding a dull /s/ run helps clarity.
Yes. The suffix -ively adds two light syllables -ively, with a reduced vowel in the first of the suffix syllables: /-ɪvli/ or /-ɪvli/ depending on accent. The 'i' in -ive is often subtle and can approach a schwa in rapid speech; keep it distinct enough to avoid blending with the final 'ly' sound. Emphasize the -vi- as a short, quick vowel before the final /li/.
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Successively comes from the adverb successively, formed from the noun success (from Latin successus, ‘an advance, progress’) plus the adverbial suffix -ively. The root Latin word successus itself derives from sub- ‘under, following’ and cedere ‘to go, yield’ and evolved in English through Old French and Middle English usage to mean a following in order or succession. The sense expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries into formal, methodological contexts, where writers describe steps, stages, or events that occur one after another. The modern usage retains that primary sense of a sequential progression, often in academic, scientific, or analytical prose. First attested uses appear in early scientific and mathematical works as researchers documented procedures or observations that occurred in a defined order, and the term gained traction in scholarly writing as a precise marker of sequential events.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "successively" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "successively" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "successively"
-ely sounds
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