uhn-uh-VOY-duh-blee
/ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbli/
unavoidably is pronounced uhn-uh-VOY-duh-blee (/ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbli/). Unavoidably means in a manner that cannot be avoided; something is bound to happen or be the result of circumstances. The word implies inevitability, often used to describe outcomes or actions that are virtually certain given the situation. It is an adverb formed from the adjective avoidable with the prefix un- and the suffix -ly, signaling the manner of inevitability rather than a specific event.
Unavoidably means in a manner that cannot be avoided; something is bound to happen or be the result of circumstances. The word implies inevitability, often used to describe outcomes or actions that are virtually certain given the situation. It is an adverb formed from the adjective avoidable with the prefix un- and the suffix -ly, signaling the manner of inevitability rather than a specific event.
"- The machine broke down unavoidably after years of heavy use."
"- She arrived late, unavoidably so, due to a blocked train."
"- The budget overrun was unavoidably tied to rising material costs."
You say /ʌnˈɔɪ.də.və.bli/. The primary stress lands on the second syllable - so it’s un- + A-void-able with stress on the “oy” part: /ˈɔɪ/ as in avoid. Start with a short rounded /ʌ/ (uh), then glide into /ɔɪ/ (oy) as in avoid. Follow with /də/ (duh) and end with /bli/ (blee). Listen for the light, quick final -bly. Your mouth should stay relaxed, with the tongue dipping to produce /ɔɪ/ before a clear /d/ and a soft /ə/ before /bli/.
Common errors include flattening the /ɔɪ/ diphthong to a simple /ɔ/ or /o/, and misplacing stress on the third syllable (often saying un-a-VOID-a-bly). Another frequent slip is slurring the /d/ into the following /ə/ or not clearly enunciating the final /bli/. To correct: practice the /ɔɪ/ as a tight diphthong, keep the /d/ crisp, and clearly release the final /blɪ/ with a light, quick end. Emphasize the second syllable to preserve the natural rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, the /ɔɪ/ diphthong remains central, but rhotic accents in US can slightly color vowels around the /ɹ/ environment; however, /ɔɪ/ itself stays similar. UK and AU speakers often have non-rhotic tendencies; the /r/ is not pronounced after vowels, but it doesn’t affect /ɔɪ/. Final -bly tends to be pronounced with a lighter /l/ and a brief /i/. Stress remains on the second syllable across regions. Overall, the main difference is rhythm and vowel quality, not a different phoneme set.
The challenge comes from the long, stressed second syllable /ˈɔɪ/ within a longer word, and the cluster at the end - /vəbli/ where the /v/ and /b/ sit close together with a subtle /l/ and /i/. It’s easy to reduce /ɔɪ/ to a shorter vowel or to swallow the /d/ and /blɪ/ quickly. Practicing the diphthong as a continuous glide and articulating the /d/ and /bl/ clusters distinctly helps. Also, keep steady air flow to avoid a rushed ending.
No syllable in unavoidably is silent. Each syllable carries a vocal rhythm: /ʌn/ /ˈɔɪ/ /də/ /və/ /bli/. The challenge is coordinating the diphthong with the following /d/ and the final consonant cluster /bli/. Focus on a clean onset for the second syllable and a crisp /d/ before the /və/. There’s no silent letter; pronunciation emphasizes all phonemes.
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US/UK/AU differences: - US: Slight rhotic influence, but /ɔɪ/ remains; keep the vowel rounded with a smooth glide; final -bly often realized with a clear /blɪ/ and a slightly sharper /l/. - UK: Non-rhotic tendencies; ensure /ɔɪ/ is tight but not flattened; finalize with a crisp /bli/; keep vowel length balanced. - AU: Similar to UK for /ɔɪ/ and /bli/, but Australians may have a slightly more centralized /ə/ in the /də/ and /və/ syllables; keep voicing steady across the word. Use IPA cues: /ʌnˈɔɪ.də.və.bli/ across all. Tip: practice with minimal pairs to train the diphthong and consonant clarity across accents.
The word unavoidably derives from the combination of the prefix un- (a negation) with the adjective avoidable, plus the adverbial suffix -ly. The root avoidable comes from Old French evoyable, from Latin evadibilis, from evadere ‘to escape’ (ev- ‘out’ + vadere ‘to go’). The prefix un- formed in Middle English and Early Modern English to negate adjectives, with -able/-ible indicating capability. The suffix -ly converts the adjective into an adverb indicating manner. The concept of inevitability dates from the 14th century, with un- + avoidable used in legal and rhetorical contexts to express something that cannot be escaped. By the 18th and 19th centuries, unavoidably solidified as the standard adverbial form used to emphasize that a consequence is inescapable given the conditions. The modern sense emphasizes inevitability under circumstances rather than moral judgment, and usage has spread across formal and informal speech. The construction mirrors other -ably/-ibly adjectives turned into adverbs (e.g., unavoidably, inevitably, irrevocably), reflecting English’s productive morphology for adverb formation from adjectives. First known written attestations appear in 17th- to 18th-century texts, with the sense expanding as industrial and legal language demanded explicit statements about unavoidable outcomes.
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Words that rhyme with "unavoidably"
-bly sounds
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