Is “finally” two or three syllables?
“finally” has 2 or 3 syllables, depending on how you say it. Most dictionaries count 3. FY-nuh-lee (3) vs FYN-lee (2).
Every pronunciation, counted
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY-nuh-lee | /ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ | f ay · n ah · l iy | 3 | CMU dictionary |
| FYN-lee | /ˈfaɪn.li/ | f ay n · l iy | 2 | Wiktionary (RP,GA,CA,NZ) |
Syllables are shown in ARPAbet (the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary's phoneme alphabet). Respellings put the stressed syllable in capitals.
Why the count varies
-ually / -ically reduction. The endings -ually and -ically are pronounced in full, partly reduced, or collapsed (ak-choo-uh-lee, ak-shuh-lee, aksh-lee), giving two or three counts for one word.
What the dictionaries say
- Cambridge (UK) /ˈfaɪ.nᵊl.i/
- Cambridge (US) /ˈfaɪ.nᵊl.i/, /ˈfaɪ·nᵊl·i/
- Wiktionary /ˈfaɪ.nə.li/ (RP,GA,CA,NZ), /ˈfaɪn.li/ (RP,GA,CA,NZ), /ˈfɑɪ.nə.li/ (AU), /ˈfɑɪn.li/ (AU)
For haiku, sonnets and song lyrics
For haiku, sonnets and other syllable-counted verse, 'finally' is safest as 3 syllables, the count most dictionaries give. Poets have also used it as 2 syllables; either scans if the line is read naturally, but say which you mean if the count matters (haiku judges usually accept the dictionary count).
Count syllables in your own text
Paste a line or a whole poem: syllables, stress, IPA and meter, free and in your browser.
Open the syllable counter →Related words
Pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, checked against Cambridge Dictionary and Wiktionary transcriptions. Hyphenation from the hyph_en_US patterns.