How to Pronounce Holly

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

holly

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

1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ˈhɒli/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “holly”

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

Sounds exactly like: holley, hollie, wholey — easy to mix up when writing.

What does holly mean?

noun

  1. Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.
  2. The wood from this tree.

Hear “holly” 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 holly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

melancholyfollygollydollycollyjollyvolleyolliemollysquallyloblollypolly

Related words

ilexberriedhocksweetassiokayholijohn

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "holly"?▾

"Holly" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "holly"?▾

The IPA transcription of "holly" is /ˈhɒli/.

What does "holly" mean?▾

Holly: Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.

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

Open “holly” in the full dictionary →