suh-FISH-uhnt-lee
/səˈfɪʃəntli/
sufficiently is pronounced suh-FISH-uhnt-lee (/səˈfɪʃəntli/). Sufficiently means to a degree or extent that is adequate or enough for a particular purpose. It describes something done in a manner that satisfies a requirement, but not more than needed. The term often appears in formal or analytical contexts to indicate adequacy rather than excess.
Sufficiently means to a degree or extent that is adequate or enough for a particular purpose. It describes something done in a manner that satisfies a requirement, but not more than needed. The term often appears in formal or analytical contexts to indicate adequacy rather than excess.
- Misplacing stress or reducing the initial syllable, leading to /ˈsɪfəntli/ or /ˈsaɪˈfɪʃəntli/. To fix: rehearse with a steady onset on the first syllable and ensure the /f/ immediately follows. - Slurring the consonant cluster /ʃən/ into /ʃən/ or /ʃən/ becoming /ʃən/; practice by isolating the /ʃ/ and /n/ before the /t/. - Weakening the final -ly into a quick /li/ that blends into following speech; practice with a clean /li/ by finishing with tip of tongue close to alveolar ridge. - In rapid speech, the /t/ can become a tap or disappear; practice with a crisp release /nt/ before /l/. - Avoid switching to a long vowel in the first syllable; keep a short, lax final vowel /ə/ before /fɪ/.” ,
"The data were sufficiently robust to support the conclusion."
"She spoke sufficiently loud for everyone to hear without shouting."
"The project was sufficiently funded to proceed on schedule."
You pronounce it as /ˈsə.fɪ.ʃənt.li/ in US and UK; US often sounds /ˈsɪf.ɪ.ʃənt.li/ in casual speech. The main stress is on the first syllable: SUF-fi-cient-ly. Your mouth starts with a light schwa in the first syllable, then a short /f/ or /fɪ/, then /ʃə/ (shuh), then /nt/ cluster, and ends with a light /li/ after the final consonant. Imagine: SUF-fi-CHENT-ly with a quick, clean -ly.”
Common errors include misplacing stress (placing it on a later syllable: suf-FI-cient-ly), pronouncing /ʃənt/ as /ʃɪə/ or confusing /f/ and /v/ in the second syllable, and delaying the final /li/ so it sounds like -ly is part of the previous syllable. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable /ˈsə/ or /ˈsɪ/ and make sure the -cent- portion is clearly /ˈfɪ/ or /ˈfiː/ depending on speaker; finish with a crisp /li/ without dragging the final vowel.”
In US English, you’ll often hear /ˌsɪf.ɪˈʃən(t)li/ with lighter vowels in the second syllable and a less pronounced schwa. UK English leans toward /sɪˈfɪʃəntli/ or /ˈsɪfɪs(ə)ntli/ with a slightly more clipped /ɪ/ in the second syllable and clearer /ə/ in the /ʃə/. Australian English tends to be similar to UK but with flatter vowels; you might hear /ˈsɪf.ɪ.ʃənt.li/ with a softer /ə/ in the third syllable and a lighter final /li/. The rhotics are generally non-rhotic in UK/AU, while US may be rhotic depending on speaker, affecting the pronunced r after vowels in connected speech only if present.”
It’s a multi-syllabic word with a consonant cluster /f/ followed by /ʃ/ and /nt/ in quick succession, plus a multisyllabic stress pattern where the strongest emphasis is on the first syllable while the -ly ending remains unstressed. The /t/ before /li/ can blur in rapid speech, and the near-silent vowel in some syllables can cause vowels to reduce, leading to mispronunciations like /ˈsɪfɪˌʃæntli/ or /ˈsuːfɪʃəntli/. Focus on sustaining the first syllable’s vowel and cleanly articulating the /ʃ/ and /nt/.”
Yes. In fast or casual speech, the second syllable can compress: the /ɪ/ in /fɪ/ often reduces toward a schwa /ə/ or can be elided in very rapid speech, especially in non-stressed contexts. However, in careful pronunciation you should maintain /ˈsə.fɪ.ʃənt.li/ to preserve clarity, with the second syllable kept distinct enough to avoid merging with the /ʃə/ that follows. Keeping a crisp /f/ and /ʃ/ is key to intelligibility.
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- US: Slightly rhotic vowels under some speakers; keep /ˈsə/ for the first syllable and a clear /ɪ/ in the /fɪ/ segment. - UK: More clipped vowels; /ˈsɪf.ɪ.ʃənt.li/ with less reduction of /ə/ in the middle; prevent over-mouthing. - AU: Similar to UK; apply flatter vowel quality and softer final /li/. - General: Maintain non-rhotic tendencies when applicable, ensure rhythm is iambic-like but with primary stress on the first syllable; use IPA as reference for each variant.
Sufficiently derives from the adjective sufficient, which comes from the Latin satis meaning ‘enough’ and efficere meaning ‘to bring about, to effect.’ The suffix -ly was later added to form an adverb indicating manner. The Latin root satis has cognates in many Romance languages and appears in English in the early medieval period, shifting usage from qualifying nouns to describing degrees of adequacy. Over time, sufficient evolved from meaning ‘adequate in quantity or quality’ to the more nuanced modern sense of “to the required degree.” The first known uses of sufficientively appeared in Middle English texts, with the adverbial -ly suffix becoming standardized by the 17th century as English syntax grew more analytic. By the 18th and 19th centuries, sufficiently became a common academic and formal register adverb, frequently paired with adjectives and verbs in scientific and legal writing to express adequate sufficiency without excess.
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Words that rhyme with "sufficiently"
-ity sounds
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