WEE-klee
/ˈwikli/
weakly is pronounced WEE-klee (/ˈwikli/). Weakly is an adverb meaning 'in a weak manner' or 'in a way that lacks strength or energy.' It also describes actions done with little force or conviction. In everyday use, it often signals limited intensity or uncertain commitment, and it can modify verbs or adjectives to convey degree rather than frequency. The pronunciation centers on a short, lax vowel and a voiced final syllable, producing a light, clipped rhythm.
Weakly is an adverb meaning 'in a weak manner' or 'in a way that lacks strength or energy.' It also describes actions done with little force or conviction. In everyday use, it often signals limited intensity or uncertain commitment, and it can modify verbs or adjectives to convey degree rather than frequency. The pronunciation centers on a short, lax vowel and a voiced final syllable, producing a light, clipped rhythm.
"She spoke weakly, barely above a whisper, as the cold air hit her lungs."
"The plant grew weakly after the storm, its stems bending under the wind."
"He pressed the button weakly, not sure if it would work."
You pronounce it as /wiːkli/. The first syllable is a long “ee” sound (like “week”), with the stress on the first syllable: WEAK-ly. The second syllable uses a light, unstressed “ly.” In connected speech, it can reduce to /ˈwiːkli/ with a quick, smooth transition between syllables. Mouth position: lips spread, tongue high for /iː/, then quick lift to the alveolar /l/ and a light /i/ in the second syllable.
Common errors include mispronouncing the long vowel as a short /ɪ/ (saying ‘wɪkli’) and overpronouncing the second syllable as a full vowel. Another error is making the /k/ or /l/ sounds too strong, turning it into ‘week-lee’ with emphasis on the second syllable. Corrective tips: keep the first vowel as /iː/ and let the /l/ be light and quick; use a short, unstressed second syllable, reducing it to a soft /li/ without adding extra vowel length.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the core /wiːk/ is stable, but rhoticity can affect subsequent consonant onset; US and AU may have slightly tighter /iː/ and a crisper /k/ release, while UK often features a shorter vowel quality and a more tongue-retracted /iː/. The second syllable remains a light /li/ in all three, but Australians may reduce it a touch more, yielding a quicker, less emphasized second syllable in casual speech.
The difficulty lies in balancing a long, tense /iː/ with a soft /li/ in the second syllable, while ensuring the /k/ is not released as a hard stop followed by a strong /li/. Many speakers also tense the mouth or over-articulate the second syllable. Focus on a clean, quick /iː/ + light /l/ + short /i/ and keep the second syllable unstressed to avoid a doubled vowel or prolonged ending.
A unique aspect is the subtle interplay between the final /k/ closure and the following /l/ release in rapid speech. You should avoid a heavy /k/ that stops flow; instead, allow a seamless transition from /kiː/ to /li/. In careful speech, you’ll hear a cleaner /k/ with a crisp release followed by a light /l/ and a quick vowel, but in casual speech, the /li/ can become almost syllabic, blending into the preceding vowel.
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Weakly derives from the adjective weak, formed in Old English wac, with the adverbial suffix -ly dating from Middle English to turn adjectives into adverbs describing manner. The root word weak traces to Proto-Germanic wakanaz, related to woe and weakness, reflecting diminished strength. Through the evolution of English, -ly was regularly appended to adjectives to indicate manner, resulting in weak + -ly yielding weakly by the 12th–14th centuries. The sense expanded to describe not only physical inability but also feeble performance, pale speech, or underpowered outcomes. The term appeared in religious and philosophical discourse to critique vigor or resolve and later in everyday usage to describe actions that lack force or conviction. By the 17th–18th centuries, weakly became a standard adverb in both formal and informal registers, retaining its core meaning while accommodating nuanced degrees of weakness in tone, effort, and intensity across contexts. In modern usage, “weakly” often collocates with verbs of action, emotion, or perception to soften or qualify the intensity described, such as “speaking weakly” or “advancing weakly.”
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Words that rhyme with "weakly"
-kly sounds
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