How to Pronounce “finally”

American (US)

/ˈfaɪ.nə.li/

British (UK)

/ˈfaɪ.nə.li/

Australian (AU)

/ˈfɑɪ.nə.li/

adverb — At the end or conclusion; ultimately.

Example: The contest was long, but the Romans finally conquered.

Where the stress falls. “finally” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈfaɪ.nə.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 "finally" mean?

finally (adverb): At the end or conclusion; ultimately. For example — The contest was long, but the Romans finally conquered.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "finally", /ˈfaɪ.nə.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 "finally"?

/ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ in American English, /ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ in British English, /ˈfɑɪ.nə.li/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "finally"?

“finally” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.