How to pronounce “thoroughly”
Thoroughly is pronounced /ˈθɜːroʊliː/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the first one — θɜːr. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 3 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting θɜːr in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern Ooo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“thoroughly” sound by sound
“thoroughly” is built out of 5 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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θLet the tongue tip touch (or just peek between) the upper front teeth and blow air over it with no voicing.
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ɜːrHold the tongue central and bunched or curled back for the whole vowel, with the R quality present from beginning to end — it is one continuous r-coloured vowel, not a vowel plus an /r/.
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oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
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lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
Silent letters in “thoroughly”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- ghThe letter “gh”Silent “gh” — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “thoroughly”
Each of these differs from “thoroughly” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “thoroughly”
- How do you pronounce “thoroughly”?
- “thoroughly” is pronounced /ˈθɜːroʊliː/, with the stress on the first syllable (θɜːr). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “thoroughly”?
- “thoroughly” has 3 syllables: θɜːr · oʊ · liː. The stress pattern is Ooo.
- Does “thoroughly” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent “gh”.
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