2 syllables: Weal, thy. Stress on Weal.
WEL-thee
/ˈwɛlθi/
Wealthy is pronounced WEL-thee (/ˈwɛlθi/). It has two syllables (Weal-thy), with the stress on "Weal". Wealthy is an adjective describing someone who has a lot of money or valuable possessions. It conveys affluence or abundance and is often used to describe individuals, lifestyles, or periods of prosperity. The term can also imply influence or status associated with financial resources, rather than just momentary riches.
adjectiveWealthy is an adjective describing someone who has a lot of money or valuable possessions. It conveys affluence or abundance and is often used to describe individuals, lifestyles, or periods of prosperity. The term can also imply influence or status associated with financial resources, rather than just momentary riches.
"The wealthy donor funded the new library wing."
"After years of hard work, she became a wealthy entrepreneur."
"They live in a wealthy neighborhood with large estates."
Pronounced /ˈwel.θi/ (US) or /ˈwel.θi/ (UK/AU). Primary stress on the first syllable WEL, followed by the lax /θ/ (voiceless “th” as in think) and the short /i/ (as in “kit”). Mouth position: tongue tip lightly on upper teeth for the dental fricative /θ/, tipping forward for the dental articulation, with a smooth release into a short /i/. If you’re unsure, practice saying 'well' quickly, then add the ‘th’ and the short ‘ee’ to finish. Audio resources: consult pronunciation videos or Forvo entries for native speaker references.
Common mistakes include turning the initial /w/ into a vowel-heavy onset ('wolethy'), mispronouncing the dental fricative as /f/ or /v/ (as in 'well-fee-tee'), and elongating the second syllable (/ˈwɛl.ði/). correction: keep the first syllable crisp with /w/ onset, deliver a short, sharp /θ/ (think ‘think’), and end with a short /i/ not a prolonged vowel. Practice with minimal pairs like 'wealthy' vs 'wealthy' pronounced with a longer /iː/ is wrong; aim for /θi/ at the end.
US English typically uses /ˈwɛlθi/ with a clear /θ/ and non-rhotic or rhotic tendencies depending on speaker; UK and AU varieties maintain /θ/ and a similar vowel height, but vowel quality may be slightly rounded and the /ɪ/ may verge toward /i/ in some datasets. Rhoticity is generally not a major differentiator for this word; differences are more about vowel quality and the precise articulation of the /θ/. Overall, the primary stress and the dental fricative remain stable.
Because it combines a voiced-onset /w/ with a dental fricative /θ/—a cluster some learners substitute with /t/ or /d/—and then transitions to a short /i/. The tongue must delicately contact the upper teeth for /θ/ without adding extra voicing. The sequence /ˈwɛl-θi/ requires precise timing: the /θ/ should be unvoiced and quick, followed by a clipped /i/. This combination of a liquid-onset, dental fricative, and short final vowel makes it non-intuitive for learners not regularly exposed to /θ/ in native words.
Focus on the transition from /l/ to /θ/: the /l/ is light and quick, with the tongue tip not dropping but lightly rolled toward the teeth when producing /θ/. Practicing the sequence with a tiny pause between /l/ and /θ/ can help you avoid blending the sounds into an /lθ/ cluster. Also, keep the /i/ short; aim for a tight lip position with the tongue high and relaxed.
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Wealthy traces to the Old English word wealþe, which meant prosperity, fortune, or well-being, rooted in the Germanic proto-forms related to well-being and abundance. The modern form developed through Middle English as wealþé, influenced by the noun wealth. In the period of linguistic evolution, wealth shifted from a broader sense of happiness and welfare to specifically denote material riches and financial abundance. The term appears in English literature and legal language from the 14th century onward, and by the 16th–17th centuries it commonly described individuals or classes with substantial resources. In time, wealthy as an adjective became a standard descriptor in social and economic discourse, while the noun wealth remained to denote the condition itself. First known use as an adjective appears in early Modern English texts, with the sense of “having wealth or property” firmly established by the 17th century.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Wealthy" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Wealthy" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Wealthy"
-aty sounds
-thy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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