How to pronounce strongly in American English
STRAHNG·lee
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Americans pronounce strongly as STRAHNG-lee (/ˈstrɑŋli/). Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.
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Why it sounds different
Why "strongly" sounds like STRAHNG·lee.
Between "" and "", a brief "" glide bridges the two vowels for smooth flow. This is called the Vowel-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as STRAHNG·lee.
In real conversation
Hear "strongly" in the wild.
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Watch out
Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
01
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch STRAHNG — keep everything else short and quick.
strahng·LEE→STRAHNG·lee
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "strongly" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "STRAHNG" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "STRAHNG-lee" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Is the American pronunciation of "strongly" 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 "STRAHNG-lee" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.