How to Pronounce Gadfly

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

gadfly

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 gadfly, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

1

Syllable

6

Letters

/ˈɡædflaɪ/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “gadfly”

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

What does gadfly mean?

noun

  1. Any dipterous insect of the family Oestridae, commonly known as botflies.
  2. A horsefly: any of various species of fly, of the family Tabanidae, noted for buzzing about animals and sucking their blood.

Synonyms

bloodsuckerbotflyhorseflystoat-flystout

Hear “gadfly” 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 gadfly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

wryexemplifyrectifyhighlieapplyfortifyawrymollifyamplifynullifycry

Related words

pestblightercusspestererredoubtablebreezebreezeflybull-fly

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "gadfly"?▾

"Gadfly" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "gadfly"?▾

The IPA transcription of "gadfly" is /ˈɡædflaɪ/.

What does "gadfly" mean?▾

Gadfly: Any dipterous insect of the family Oestridae, commonly known as botflies.

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

Open “gadfly” in the full dictionary →