Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

i hardly know her

/aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.51 in modern English

Syllables
i hard-ly -know her
IPA
/aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/
31
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
3
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

A joking retort that draws attention to the possibility of sexual innuendo when a word ends with a schwar.

American usage; Humorous

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the fact that a word ending in /əɹ/ (usually ⟨-er⟩ or ⟨-or⟩) sounds like a verb followed by “her” as the direct object.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

I hardly even know her (alternative) I hardly know 'er (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce i hardly know her?
The recorded pronunciation is /aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/.
What does i hardly know her mean?
A joking retort that draws attention to the possibility of sexual innuendo when a word ends with a schwar.
Where does i hardly know her come from?
From the fact that a word ending in /əɹ/ (usually ⟨-er⟩ or ⟨-or⟩) sounds like a verb followed by “her” as the direct object.

How to pronounce i hardly know her

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “i hardly know her”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/aɪ ˈhɑɹd.li noʊ‿əɹ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “i hardly know her”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “i hardly know her” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.