Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

solely

/ˈsoʊl.li/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.20 in modern English

Syllables: sole-ly
IPA: /ˈsoʊl.li/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Alone; exclusively.

Example Sentences

"The new chef was solely responsible for attending the grill."
"This week, officials closed all evacuation centers but two on Staten Island. Now they plan to rely solely on hotels, even as they brace for a new wave of people displaced from storm-damaged housing where they are facing winter without heat or hot water."

Etymology

From Middle English soly, sooly, soolly, equivalent to sole + -ly.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: soly
Suffix: sole

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsoʊl.li/
British English: /ˈsəʊl.li/

Frequently Paired Words

completely sole solitarily

Synonyms

entirely wholly alone exclusively expressly merely only purely solely

Rhymes With

wholly

Questions

How do you pronounce solely?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsoʊl.li/.
What does solely mean?: Alone; exclusively.
Where does solely come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce solely

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