How to pronounce definitely in American English

IPA /ˈdɛfənətli/ Syllables 4 · deh·fuh·nuht·lee Stress 1st syllable

DEH·fuh·nuht·lee

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Americans pronounce definitely as DEH-fuh-nuht-lee (/ˈdɛfənətli/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "definitely", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch DEH — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "definitely" sounds like DEH·fuh·nuht·lee.

In "definitely", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. This is called the Unreleased Stops, and it's one of the defining features of casual American English. It comes out as DEH·fuh·nuht·lee.

In real conversation

Hear "definitely" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"That's definitely not what I meant."

dhats DEH·fuh·nuht·lee NAHT wuht ahy MEHNT

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "definitely", the "" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

definitely→DEH·fuh·nuht·lee

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch DEH — keep everything else short and quick.

deh·FUH·NUHT·LEE→DEH·fuh·nuht·lee

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

DEH·FUH·nuht·lee→DEH·fuh·nuht·lee

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "definitely" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "DEH" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "DEH-fuh-nuht-lee" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the second syllable in "definitely" reduce to "uh"?

Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "DEH-fuh-nuht-lee" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "definitely" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "DEH-fuh-nuht-lee" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "definitely" sounds like DEH·fuh·nuht·lee.

Hear "definitely" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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