Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-ally

/li/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.10 in modern English

Syllables
-al-ly
IPA
/li/
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
3
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Alternative form of -ly (adverbial suffix), used with adjectives ending in -ic.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English -ally English -ally From Middle English -ally, -alliche, a combination equivalent to -al (adjectival suffix) + -ly (adverbial suffix). The Middle English suffix was originally non-productive, and was from -ly adverbs based on nouns ending an -al. In modern usage the suffix has been reanalyzed and is now treated as a separate, productive suffix.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

more -ally (comparative) most -ally (superlative) ⠠⠽ (alternative)

Homonyms

-ly

Questions

How do you pronounce -ally?
The recorded pronunciation is /li/.
What does -ally mean?
Alternative form of -ly (adverbial suffix), used with adjectives ending in -ic.
Where does -ally come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce -ally

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