How do you pronounce nearly?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪɹli/.

nearly

/ˈnɪɹli/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.00 in modern English

Syllables: near-ly
IPA: /ˈnɪɹli/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In close approximation; almost, virtually.

adv

With great scrutiny; carefully.

Archaic

adv

With close relation; intimately.

adv

Closely, in close proximity.

adv

Stingily.

Example Sentences

"He left a nearly full beer on the bar."
"I nearly didn't go to work yesterday."
"He was (so/very) nearly over the worst part of his college degree."
"She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry."
"'Since Heidi's been here, delightful things have happened nearly every day.'"
"In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter."

Etymology

From near + -ly. Cognate with Scots nerelie, neirlie (“nearly”). Compare also English nearling, nearlings.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈnɪɹli/
British English: /ˈnɪəli/

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

nearlier (comparative) more nearly (comparative) nearliest (superlative) most nearly (superlative) nerely (alternative) nerly (alternative) neerely (alternative) nearely (alternative)

Derived Forms

nearliness nearlyness nearlywed

Phrases

nearly-dead nearly fall off one's chair nearly man nearly never bulled a cow nearly never won the race

Synonyms

environ almost nigh well-nigh near close to next to practically virtually

Rhymes With

clearly merely severely sincerely yearly dearly cavalierly austerely bierly cheerly