Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

closely

/ˈkloʊsli/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.53 in modern English

Syllables: close-ly
IPA: /ˈkloʊsli/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In a close manner.

adv

secretly; privately

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Finnish and Estonian are closely related languages."
"The borderline between East and West Berlin was very closely guarded."
"The chairs are too closely spaced; could you move them apart?"
"Test large, cylindrical, early portion closely coiled and always completely involute, later and larger portion uncoiled[…]"
"“King Homer” follows the story of King Kong closely, with Mr. Burns taking the freakishly over-sized King Homer from his native Africa, where he lives proud as a simian god, to the United States, where he is an initially impressive but ultimately rather limited Broadway attraction."
"That nought she did but wayle, and often steepe / Her dainty couch with tears which closely she did weepe."

Etymology

From close + -ly.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkloʊsli/
British English: /ˈkləʊsliː/

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

closelier (comparative) more closely (comparative) closeliest (superlative) most closely (superlative)

Derived Forms

overclosely

Phrases

closely held

Synonyms

intimately nearly close tight

Rhymes With

grossly towsley

Questions

How do you pronounce closely?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkloʊsli/.
What does closely mean?: In a close manner.
Where does closely come from?: From close + -ly.

How to pronounce closely

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