UHT-ur-lee
/ˈʌtɚli/
utterly is pronounced UHT-ur-lee (/ˈʌtɚli/). Utterly means completely or absolutely, often signaling total degree or extent. It denotes thoroughness or extremity in description or judgment, and is used as an intensifier before adjectives or participles. The word carries a formal to neutral tone depending on context, and commonly appears in written and spoken discourse to emphasize a strong evaluation or state.
Utterly means completely or absolutely, often signaling total degree or extent. It denotes thoroughness or extremity in description or judgment, and is used as an intensifier before adjectives or participles. The word carries a formal to neutral tone depending on context, and commonly appears in written and spoken discourse to emphasize a strong evaluation or state.
"The movie was utterly breathtaking from start to finish."
"She felt utterly exhausted after the marathon."
"The plan proved utterly useless in the face of new data."
Utterly is pronounced with three syllables: /ˈʌ-tər-li/. The primary stress falls on the first syllable. The middle /ər/ is a schwa+r colorization, sounding like a quick, unstressed 'er.' Final /li/ should be a clear light 'lee' with an audible but short L. In connected speech, the middle /t/ may be softened to a flap [ɾ] in rapid American speech, yielding [ˈʌɾərli], but careful enunciation keeps it as a crisp /t/ in careful speech. IPA guide: US /ˈʌtərli/, UK /ˈʌtəli/, AU /ˈʌtəli/.
Two common errors are treating it as two syllables with a weak middle: saying /ˈuːtərli/ or misplacing stress as on the second syllable. Another frequent slip is a mispronounced final consonant, either dropping the /l/ or turning /t/ into a glottal stop in casual speech. Correction: keep three distinct syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈʌ-tər-li/. For the middle sound, use a reduced, unstressed /ər/ (schwa + rhotic if American), and finish with a clean /li/.
In US English, you’ll typically hear /ˈʌtərli/ with a pronounced rhotic /ɹ/ in the second syllable /tər/. In UK English, the /ɹ/ is non-rhotic, so it sounds like /ˈʌtəli/ with a rounded, reduced middle vowel and crisper /t/. Australian English aligns more with non-rhotic tendencies, but with vowel quality leaning toward /ə/ in the middle, giving /ˈʌtəli/. Overall, rhotacism, vowel length, and vowel reduction influence the middle syllable greatly across regions.
The difficulty lies in balancing three syllables with the central schwa that can be quickly reduced in fluent speech. The /t/ can become a tapped [ɾ] in American casual speech, and the final /li/ requires crisp articulation to prevent slurring with a following word. Keeping stress on the first syllable while maintaining a clear, light 't' or 'd' transition before the schwa helps avoid a mumble and preserves the word’s precise emphasis.
There is no silent letter in utterly. All three letters in each of the syllables carry phonetic weight: /ˈʌ/ on the first vowel, /t/ clearly articulating, /ər/ as a reduced syllable, and /li/ ending with an audible L. Some rapid speech can blur the /t/ and /ɹ/ sounds slightly, but neither is silent. Emphasizing the first syllable helps prevent mispronouncing the word as ‘utter’ or ‘utter-lee’ with a silent segment.
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Utterly derives from the adverb utter, which itself comes from Old English ūtto, related to the verb ūtan meaning to go out or to utter. In Middle English, utter evolved to describe something that is external or complete in degree, leading to the modern sense of total completeness or extremity. The suffix -ly attests to standard adverb formation in English, turning utter into utterly to modify verbs or adjectives. Historically, utter carried senses of external boundary or total utterance; the modern usage as a degree modifier emphasizes intensity (utterly fascinating, utterly impossible). First known uses appear in the late Old English period, with attestations accelerating in Early Modern English as writers seek precise adverbial intensification. Over time, utterly became a common intensifier across formal and informal registers, maintaining its central sense of total completeness while adapting to contemporary stylistic nuances. In literature, uttery and utterly were used to heighten emotional or qualitative evaluation, reinforcing its role as a strong adverb in both narration and dialogue.
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Words that rhyme with "utterly"
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