Properly pronunciation
Properly has 3 syllables. The stress is on the first syllable, "prah". Capital letters in the respelling show where the stress falls.
Say properly and check it
Free, in the browser, no account needed. The clip is checked and then deleted.
Press record, say "properly" once or twice at normal speed, then stop. You will see which syllables matched and what to change.
Properly syllables
Properly has 3 syllables: PRAH-pur-lee.
- PRAHprɑ
- purpɚ
- leeli
Three syllables: PROP-er-lee, with the stress on the first.
Sounds to watch
The r sound
Pull the tongue back and up without touching the roof of the mouth. American r is never rolled or tapped.
The l sound
Touch the tongue tip to the ridge behind your top teeth. At the end of a syllable the l is darker and the back of the tongue rises.
The er vowel
American er (as in her) is a single vowel with the tongue bunched back. Keep the r quality through the whole vowel.
Properly in a sentence
- Make sure the lid is closed properly before you shake it.
- The engine was never properly tested before launch.
Read either sentence into the recorder above. The check judges only the target word, so the rest of the sentence can be rough.
What Speakeroo listens for
These are the pronunciation patterns from Speakeroo’s speech feature catalog that this target tends to expose. The check above reports the ones it hears.
- Stress placed on the wrong syllableMake the correct syllable longer, clearer and more prominent.
- /r/ and /l/ confusedTouch the ridge behind the teeth for /l/ but avoid tongue contact for /r/.
- Every syllable stressed equallyEmphasise one main syllable and reduce the others.
Questions
How do you pronounce properly?
Properly is pronounced /ˈprɑ.pɚ.li/, or PRAH-pur-lee in plain letters. It has 3 syllables and the stress falls on the first syllable, "prah".
How many syllables are in properly?
3: PRAH-pur-lee. The capital letters mark the stressed syllable.
How do you use properly in a sentence?
Make sure the lid is closed properly before you shake it. The engine was never properly tested before launch.
Practice full sentences with feedback
Every practice mode is free and starts in your browser. A free account adds session history and progress tracking so you can see the same feedback improve over time.