Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

highly

/ˈhaɪli/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.89 in modern English

Syllables
high-ly
IPA
/ˈhaɪli/
16
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In a high or esteemed manner.

adv

Extremely; greatly; very much.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English hiȝly, heȝly, heyȝliche, from Old English hēalīce (“highly”), equivalent to high + -ly. Cognate with Dutch hoogelijk (“highly”), German höchlich (“highly”), Danish højlig (“highly”), Swedish högligen (“highly”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: hiȝly, hēalīce

Inflected Forms

highlier (comparative) more highly (comparative) highliest (superlative) most highly (superlative)

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce highly?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhaɪli/.
What does highly mean?
In a high or esteemed manner.
Where does highly come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce highly

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