How to Pronounce Folly

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

folly

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying folly, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ˈfɒli/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “folly”

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

Sounds exactly like: folley — easy to mix up when writing.

What does folly mean?

noun

  1. Foolishness.

    “It'd be folly.”

  2. Thoughtless action resulting in tragic consequence.

Hear “folly” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with folly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

melancholygollydollycollyjollyvolleyolliemollysquallyloblollypollycallee

Related words

foolishnessstupidityfooleryimbecilitytomfoolerycrazinessunwisenessindulgence

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "folly"?▾

"Folly" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "folly"?▾

The IPA transcription of "folly" is /ˈfɒli/.

What does "folly" mean?▾

Folly: Foolishness.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “folly” in the full dictionary →