How to pronounce very in American English

IPA /ˈvɛri/ Syllables 2 · veh·ree Stress 1st syllable

VEH·ree

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Americans pronounce very as VEH-ree (/ˈvɛri/). 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%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

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Why it sounds different

Why "very" sounds like VEH·ree.

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 VEH·ree.

In real conversation

Hear "very" in the wild.

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

"A very nice van."

uh VEH·ree NAHYS VAN

"Bamboo grows very quickly and is used for many purposes."

bam·BOO grohz VEH·ree KWIH·klee and ihz yoozd fer MEH·nee PUR·puh·suhz

"He asked me a very direct question."

hee askt mee uh VEH·ree duh·REHKT KWEHS·chuhn

"He is a very strong and capable leader."

hee ihz uh VEH·ree STRAHNG and KAY·puh·buhl LEE·der

"He said he was feeling very sad yesterday."

hee sehd hee wuhz FEE·luhng VEH·ree SAD YEH·ster·day

"Her career is progressing very well."

HUR kuh·REER ihz pruh·GREH·suhng VEH·ree wehl

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

veh·REE→VEH·ree

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "very" stressed in American English?

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

Is the American pronunciation of "very" 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 "VEH-ree" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "very" sounds like VEH·ree.

Hear "very" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Questions people ask about this.

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