How to Pronounce Surly

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

surly

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Accent

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ˈsɜːli/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “surly”

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

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

What does surly mean?

adjective

  1. Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
  2. Threatening, menacing, gloomy.

    “The surly weather put us all in a bad mood.”

adverb

  1. In an arrogant or supercilious manner.

Words that rhyme with surly

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

girlyburlygirlieearlycurlypearlytwirlyhurlyburleyshirleyswirlybirley

Related words

ill-natureduglypeevishgruffill-humoredfretfulgrumpyill-tempered

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "surly"?▾

"Surly" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "surly"?▾

The IPA transcription of "surly" is /ˈsɜːli/.

What does "surly" mean?▾

Surly: Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.

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