How to Pronounce Literally

"Literally" is not spelled the way it sounds. Its pronunciation is /ˈɫɪtɝəɫi/ in IPA and it has 4 syllables. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents — the audio is the reliable guide for a word like this.

literally

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4

Syllables

9

Letters

/ˈɫɪtɝəɫi/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/lˈɪtəɹəli/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “literally”

"literally" has 4 syllables: literally.

What does literally mean?

adverb

  1. Word for word; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor

    “When I saw on the news that there would be no school tomorrow because of the snowstorm, I literally jumped for joy, and hit my head on the ceiling fan.”

  2. (degree, contranym) Used non-literally as an intensifier for figurative statements: virtually, so to speak (often considered incorrect; see usage notes)

    “He was so surprised, he literally jumped twenty feet in the air.”

Synonyms

actuallyreallymerelyvirtually

Antonyms

figurativelymetaphoricallyvirtually

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Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "literally"?▾

"Literally" is not spelled the way it sounds. Its pronunciation is /ˈɫɪtɝəɫi/ in IPA and it has 4 syllables. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents — the audio is the reliable guide for a word like this.

How many syllables are in "literally"?▾

"Literally" has 4 syllables.

What is the IPA transcription of "literally"?▾

The IPA transcription of "literally" is /ˈɫɪtɝəɫi/.

What does "literally" mean?▾

Literally: Word for word; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor

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