WIL-fuh-lee
/ˈwɪlfəli/
willfully is pronounced WIL-fuh-lee (/ˈwɪlfəli/). Willfully means done with intentionality or deliberate aim, often with a stubborn or resistant attitude. It denotes actions performed on purpose, not accidentally, and can carry a sense of defiance or calculated intent in context.
Willfully means done with intentionality or deliberate aim, often with a stubborn or resistant attitude. It denotes actions performed on purpose, not accidentally, and can carry a sense of defiance or calculated intent in context.
"- He willfully ignored the warning signs and pressed on with the project."
"- The committee accused him of willfully concealing crucial information."
"- She willfully refused to cooperate, despite repeated invitations to participate."
Say WILL-ful-ly with the primary stress on WILL. The IPA is /ˈwɪl.fə.li/ for US/UK/AU. Make the first syllable short /ɪ/ as in sit, then a light /ə/ in the second syllable, followed by /li/ with a clear 'lee' sound. Move from a tense onset /w/ into a relaxed mid vowels, ending with a crisp /li/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (trying WILL-fuh-lee with incorrect rhythm) and merging syllables (saying /ˈwɪlfəli/). Another frequent slip is pronouncing the second vowel as /ɜ/ or /ɪ/ in the middle syllable. Correct by maintaining three distinct syllables: /ˈwɪl/ + /fə/ + /li/, keeping the middle vowel as a schwa and stressing the first syllable.
US and UK typically share /ˈwɪl.fə.li/. In General American, you’ll hear a rhotic quality only in connected speech; in UK RP, the /ɹ/ is not realized, but not all vowels shift dramatically. Australian speakers tend to reduce vowels slightly and may soften the second syllable to /wɪl.fuh.li/. All three preserve three syllables with a clear /ˈwɪl/ onset.
It combines a consonant cluster starting with /w/ followed by a stressed /ɪ/ and a mid /fə/ syllable, with the final /li/ requiring a clean alveolar /l/ and a light /i/. The challenge is keeping distinct syllables without vowel reduction in casual speech, plus ensuring the first syllable is stressed while not over-lengthening the middle /fə/.
The key is three distinct syllables with a stable /f/ consonant in the middle and an unstressed middle vowel. Don’t reduce the middle /ə/ into a schwa too heavily; keep it as a light, quick vowel so the final /li/ remains crisp. Also avoid conflating with willful (noun/adjective) forms when adverbially describing action.
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US: rhotic /r/ None; bright /ɪ/ and clear /lə/; maintain strong /w/. UK: non-rhotic; ensure /l/ quality and a slightly more clipped /lə/; AU: similar to US but with slightly flatter vowels and quicker schwa. IPA references: /ˈwɪl.fə.li/. Focus on keeping the middle /ə/ light and passing the final /li/ without trailing vowel.
The word willfully derives from will + -ful, with will tracing to Old English willa (desire, wish, will) from Proto-Germanic *willa(n) and further to the Proto-Indo-European *wel- 'to wish, will, desire.' The suffix -ful adds ‘full of’ or ‘characterized by.’ In Middle English, willful appeared as willenful or well-wullful, indicating something done by one’s will or volition. By Early Modern English, willfully stabilized as an adverbial form meaning 'in a willful manner' and extended to emphasize intentional or deliberate action, sometimes with a negative nuance aligned to stubbornness or defiance. The sense of ‘deliberately done, even if wrongful’ matured through legal and moral discourse, crystallizing in modern usage to describe actions undertaken with purpose, sometimes with a sense of obstinacy or malicious intent.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "willfully" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "willfully" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "willfully"
-lly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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