HOHL-hahr-tid-lee
/ˈhoʊlhɑɹtɪdli/
wholeheartedly is pronounced HOHL-hahr-tid-lee (/ˈhoʊlhɑɹtɪdli/). Wholeheartedly means doing something with entire sincerity and commitment, without reservation or doubt. It implies full emotional engagement and genuine, enthusiastic support or belief. The term combines “whole” (complete) and “hearted” (from heart), signaling a total, unapologetic commitment to a cause, action, or sentiment.
Wholeheartedly means doing something with entire sincerity and commitment, without reservation or doubt. It implies full emotional engagement and genuine, enthusiastic support or belief. The term combines “whole” (complete) and “hearted” (from heart), signaling a total, unapologetic commitment to a cause, action, or sentiment.
"She nodded wholeheartedly in agreement, promising to support the project fully."
"They donated wholeheartedly, not stopping to count the money halfway."
"He apologized wholeheartedly, admitting the mistake and promising better effort."
Pronounce as /ˌhoʊlˈhɑːrtɪdli/ in US, /ˌhəʊlˈhɑːtɪdli/ in UK, and /ˌhəʊlˈhɑːtɪdli/ in AU. Stress rises on the second syllable: whole-HEART-ed-ly. Start with /hoʊl/ or /həʊl/ for the first syllable, then /ˈhɑːr/ in “hearted,” followed by /tɪd/ and a light /li/ at the end. Ensure the /r/ in heart is pronounced in rhotic accents; non-rhotic speakers may slightly soften the r.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress (not stressing the second syllable), pronouncing the /l/ sound too lightly, and running the word together without the clear /t/ before the final -ly. Correction: stress the second syllable: whole-HEART-ed-ly; articulate the /t/ clearly before the /l/ sequence, and keep the /r/ audible in rhotic accents. Practice with a slow tempo, then speed up while maintaining the segment boundaries.
US tends to a rhotic /r/ and a full /ɑːr/ in heart; UK often has a non-rhotic post-vocalic r, giving a subtler /hɑːtɪdli/; Australia tends toward rhoticity with clear /r/ and a broad vowel in heart. Accent differences also affect the first syllable vowel: US /hoʊl/ vs UK/AU /həʊl/. Maintain the second-syllable stress and the clear /t/ before /i/.
Difficulties come from the multi-syllabic length, stress on the mid syllable, and the sequence /ˈhɑːr/ followed by /tɪdli/. The /r/ in heart combines with a long vowel, which can blur in rapid speech; the /t/ before /d/ in -ed- becomes a light cluster; and the final -ly adds a soft, quick ending. Focusing on the distinct syllables and slowing down the transition between heart-ed-ly helps.
Unique aspect: the compound stress pattern and the /t/ before -ed- followed by -ly. You should phrase it as whole-HEART-ed-ly, with peak energy on heart and a crisp stop before the -ed-ly. Some speakers treat -ed- as a separate syllable leading to five syllables total: /ˌhoʊlˈhɑːrtɪdli/.
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Wholeheartedly comes from the combination of the adjective whole, meaning complete or entire, and hearted, a derivative of heart used in the sense of inner feeling or courage (often appearing in compounds like “heartfelt” and “heartily”). The sense evolved in Middle English through metaphorical use: “of the heart” implied genuine emotion. By the 16th–17th centuries, phrases like “with all my heart” solidified, contributing to the modern adverbial form wholeheartedly. The first known written attestations appear in early modern English literature and religious texts, where actions were described as performed with complete sincerity or devotion. Over time, wholeheartedly acquired a more secular, broad usage meaning “with total commitment or enthusiasm” across contexts, from philanthropy to everyday agreement. The word’s compound structure mirrors other intensifiers (e.g., whole, wholehearted), reinforcing the idea of intact integrity of feeling and purpose. It remains less common in casual speech than “wholeheartedly” in formal or expressive registers, but its meaning remains consistent across centuries: complete emotional engagement and unwavering support.
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Words that rhyme with "wholeheartedly"
-oly sounds
-wly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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