Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

probably

/ˈpɹɑ.bə.bli/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.37 in modern English

Syllables: prob-a-bly
IPA: /ˈpɹɑ.bə.bli/

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

In all likelihood.

Example Sentences

"She probably has arrived by now."
"She has probably arrived by now."
"Probably she has arrived by now."
"He'll probably arrive tomorrow."
"He probably will arrive tomorrow."
"Probably he'll arrive tomorrow."

Etymology

From Middle English probably, probabily, equivalent to probable + -ly.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: probably
Suffix: probable

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpɹɑ.bə.bli/
British English: /ˈpɹɒb.ə.bli/

Inflected Forms

more probably (comparative) most probably (superlative) probablely (alternative, obsolete) probally (alternative, colloquial) probly (alternative, colloquial) prolly (alternative, colloquial) proly (alternative, Internet) pby (alternative, Internet)

Frequently Paired Words

as like as not as likely as not possibly maybe perhaps mayhap mayhaps perchance

Synonyms

likely in all probability more than likely belike mostly in all likelihood credibly believably plausibly

Questions

How do you pronounce probably?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɹɑ.bə.bli/.
What does probably mean?: In all likelihood.
Where does probably come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce probably

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