Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

boldly

/ˈboʊldli/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.28 in modern English

Syllables: bold-ly
IPA: /ˈboʊldli/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In a bold manner; with confidence.

Example Sentences

"to boldly go where no man has gone before"
"Postcards that are billboardlike communications with an immediate message stated boldly and creatively."

Etymology

From Middle English boldely, boldeliche, baldeliche, from Old English bealdlīċe (“boldly, earnestly”), equivalent to bold + -ly.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: boldely, bealdlīċe

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈboʊldli/
British English: /ˈbəʊldli/

Inflected Forms

boldlier (comparative) more boldly (comparative) boldliest (superlative) most boldly (superlative) bouldly (alternative)

Phrases

boldly go where no man has gone before

Rhymes With

coldly

Questions

How do you pronounce boldly?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈboʊldli/.
What does boldly mean?: In a bold manner; with confidence.
Where does boldly come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce boldly

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