Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clearly

/ˈklɪɚli/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.92 in modern English

Syllables: clear-ly
IPA: /ˈklɪɚli/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In a clear manner.

adv

Without a doubt; obviously.

adv

To a degree clearly discernible.

Example Sentences

"He enunciated every syllable clearly."
"Clearly, the judge erred in his opinion."
"While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had warned his players against letting the pre-match festivities distract them from the task at hand, they clearly struggled for fluency early on."
"He was clearly wrong on all points but one."

Etymology

From Middle English clerli, clerely, clerelych, cleerliche, clerliche. By surface analysis, clear + (adverbial) -ly.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: clerli

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈklɪɚli/
British English: /ˈklɪəli/

Inflected Forms

more clearly (comparative) clearlier (archaic, comparative) most clearly (superlative) clearliest (archaic, superlative)

Synonyms

expressly unambiguously obviously distinctly intelligibly understandably clear

Rhymes With

nearly merely severely sincerely yearly dearly cavalierly austerely bierly cheerly

Questions

How do you pronounce clearly?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklɪɚli/.
What does clearly mean?: In a clear manner.
Where does clearly come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce clearly

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “clearly”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈklɪɚli/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “clearly”.
Repeat and practice — Say “clearly” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.