How to Pronounce Ly

To pronounce "ly", say LY — one syllable. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

ly

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

2

Letters

LY

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💡 Tip for remembering “ly”

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

Sounds exactly like: lie, lye, lai — easy to mix up when writing.

What does ly mean?

noun

  1. A unit of length (abbreviation ly; equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres (1016 metres)) equal to the distance light travels in one Julian year; used to measure extremely large distances.
  2. (only in plural) A very long way.

    “The marathon runner in the lead is light years ahead of the one at the back.”

Words that rhyme with ly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

wryexemplifyrectifyhighlieapplyfortifyawrymollifyamplifynullifycry

Related words

ysimilarishlikesandertallunidiomatictruong

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "ly"?▾

"Ly" has one syllable.

What does "ly" mean?▾

Ly: A unit of length (abbreviation ly; equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres (1016 metres)) equal to the distance light travels in one Julian year; used to measure extremely large distances.

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