YIR-lee
/ˈjɪɹli/
yearly is pronounced YIR-lee (/ˈjɪɹli/). Yearly describes something occurring once per year or happening annually. It is used for frequency, budgeting, or reporting over a 12-month cycle. The term typically contrasts with monthly or quarterly periods and emphasizes the annual nature of a event, schedule, or assessment.
Yearly describes something occurring once per year or happening annually. It is used for frequency, budgeting, or reporting over a 12-month cycle. The term typically contrasts with monthly or quarterly periods and emphasizes the annual nature of a event, schedule, or assessment.
"We publish the yearly report every January."
"The yearly festival draws visitors from around the world."
"Her yearly salary review happens in December."
You pronounce yearly as /ˈjɜːrli/ in General US English and /ˈjɜːli/ in many UK varieties, with a stressed first syllable. The initial sound is a mid-back unrounded vowel (like 'yer'), followed by a light, unstressed second syllable 'ly' /li/; the 'r' in American speech is rhotic. In Australian English you’ll also hear /ˈjɜːli/ with a non-rhotic tendency in some speakers, but many speakers produce a subtle rhotic /ɹ/ in connected speech. Practice saying “yer-ly” with a crisp, brief first vowel and a clean /l/ articulation.
Common errors include reducing the first syllable to a simple /jɪ/ as in 'jerry' or omitting the 'r' so it sounds like /ˈjel.i/. Another mistake is lengthening the second syllable or adding an extra syllable. To correct: keep the first syllable as /ˈjɜː/ (American) or /ˈjɜː/ (some UK), ensure the /r/ is present in rhotic varieties, and end with a short /li/ without a heavy vowel.
In US English, /ˈjɜːrli/ with an rhotic /ɹ/; the /ɜːr/ cluster is pronounced as a stressed diphthong with r-coloring. In UK English, /ˈjɪəli/ or /ˈjɜːli/ with a less pronounced rhoticity in some accents and a more centralized /ɪə/ for the first vowel depending on region. Australian English tends toward /ˈjɪəli/ or /ˈjɜːli/ with variable rhoticity and broader, more centralized vowels. Listen for the quality of the first vowel and the presence/absence of rhotic articulation.
The difficulty lies in the /ɜːr/ or /ɜː/ vowel with postvocalic /r/ in rhotic varieties and the rapid transition to the /li/ syllable. The first syllable can be mis-timed, producing /ˈjeəri/ or /ˈjerni/. Also, the weak second syllable /li/ should remain unstressed and clipped. Coordinating the mouth position for the rounded or unrounded vowel, and keeping the r-color without over-drawing it, makes this word tricky.
A unique question about yearly is whether you should glide from /ɜː/ to /ɹ/ and then to /li/ in a single smooth motion or pause slightly: you should glide, not break; produce /ˈjɜːr.li/ with a light, quick /r/ and minimal vowel reduction. The tongue starts mid-back, lips neutral, jaw slightly open, then you transition to a crisp /l/ and short /i/. Some speakers insert a small /ɪ/ before /li/ in rapid speech; aim for /ˈjɜːr.li/.
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US: rhotic /ɹ/ is prominent; maintain the /ɜːr/ cluster with a clear r-color. UK: sometimes non-rhotic; the /r/ is weaker or silent; focus on the /jə/ or /jɜː/ vowel quality. AU: variability; tends toward /ˈjɜːli/ with less rhotic emphasis; ensure the final /li/ is crisp. IPA references: US /ˈjɝli/ or /ˈjɜːrli/?; note many speakers use /ˈjɜːli/ for both US and UK forms. Pay attention to rhotic presence when practicing in context.
Yearly comes from the noun year, from Old English gēar, related to the Proto-Germanic *jēr-, and Gothic jah’tō, indicating a period of 12 months. The suffix -ly forms the adverbial/adjectival sense of frequency (as in yearly, monthly). The word has long been used to denote events or intervals tied to the solar year. Early uses appear in medieval English in calendrical and clerical texts, with the form evolving through Middle English to Modern English. The emphasis shifted from simply counting years to indicating recurrence or duration within each year, as administrative and fiscal practices adopted annual cycles. By the 16th-17th centuries, yearly was established as a standard modifier meaning “occurring once every year” and remains common in finance, reporting, and planning contexts today.
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Words that rhyme with "yearly"
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