Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

softly

/ˈsɔftli/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.77 in modern English

Syllables: soft-ly
IPA: /ˈsɔftli/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In a soft manner; gently.

adv

Not loudly; nearly inaudibly.

adv

With subdued color; faded or misty with distance.

Example Sentences

"The masseuse was rubbing my back too softly for my liking, so I asked her to go harder."
"He had married a lady well educated and softly nurtured, but not dowered with worldly wealth. […] They would give up ideas of gentle living, of soft raiment, and delicate feeding."
"whisper softly in someone's ear"
"play music softly"
"And they sat very still, the two of them, and looked out over that great, beautiful desert—away to the home mesa that they could see, softly blue, in the distance."

Etymology

From Middle English softely, softeliche, equivalent to soft + -ly.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: softely

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsɔftli/
British English: /ˈsɒftli/

Inflected Forms

softlier (comparative) more softly (comparative) softliest (superlative) most softly (superlative)

Phrases

softly softly speak softly and carry a big stick talk softly and carry a big stick tread softly tread-softly walk softly and carry a big stick

Synonyms

quietly lightly gently piano

Questions

How do you pronounce softly?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɔftli/.
What does softly mean?: In a soft manner; gently.
Where does softly come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce softly

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