How to Pronounce Curly

To pronounce "curly", say CURLY — one syllable, IPA /ˈkɜːli/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

curly

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Accent

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ˈkɜːli/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “curly”

"curly" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with surly and girly, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: curley, kearley, kerley, kirley — easy to mix up when writing.

What does curly mean?

noun

  1. A person or animal with curly hair.

adjective

  1. Having curls.
  2. Curling in a direction, as opposed to straight (quotation marks or apostrophes)

Words that rhyme with curly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

surlygirlyburlygirlieearlypearlytwirlyhurlyburleyshirleyswirlybirley

Related words

frizzlyfrizzyringletedpermednappycrispwavykinky

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "curly"?▾

"Curly" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "curly"?▾

The IPA transcription of "curly" is /ˈkɜːli/.

What does "curly" mean?▾

Curly: A person or animal with curly hair.

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