How to Pronounce “allegedly”

American (US)

/əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/

British (UK)

/əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/

adverb — According to allegation(s); supposedly, reportedly.

Example: The suspect was allegedly involved in the robbery, but his alibi placed him in another state at the time.

Where the stress falls. “allegedly” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "allegedly" mean?

allegedly (adverb): According to allegation(s); supposedly, reportedly. For example — The suspect was allegedly involved in the robbery, but his alibi placed him in another state at the time.

How do you pronounce "allegedly" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "allegedly", /əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "allegedly"?

/əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/ in American English, /əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "allegedly"?

“allegedly” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /əˈlɛdʒ.ɪd.li/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.