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Elision in the pronunciation of "probably"

English Language & Usage Asked by user13141 on March 19, 2021

A student of mine has pointed out that in casual speech, my tendency is to pronounce the word “probably” as something like prah-lee.

I am a native speaker of American English without a specific regional dialect, as I moved frequently when young, both within the country and abroad.

I’m curious as to how widespread this pronunciation is, or if it’s merely an indication that I’m a lazy speaker. Is this a regionalism I’ve unknowingly picked up? There is a Wiktionary entry for prolly, which indicates that I’m not alone in this pronunciation, but there’s no indication of how common it is or where it’s most prevalent.

Note: I’m familiar with the common tendency to skip the ba portion of the word, pronouncing it prob-lee; I’m specifically curious about the elision of both of the b sounds and the vowel between them.

Edit: I’ve been repeating the word over and over to myself since asking this question and realized that in particularly quick speech I seem to elide the L-sound, as well: prah-ee.

3 Answers

The normal American English pronunciation of the canonical /'prabəbli/ is a haplologized /'prabli/, with the /b/ often lost in rapid speech to /'pra:li/. That's the "prolly" that McBain and Higgins use. Just normal speech, better recorded, but it definitely flavours the dialogue.

There is also an emphatic form, stressed on the final syllable, /pra'bli/ or /pra:'li/, which can be used as a one-word response, or as an afterthought. I remember my brother saying it a lot when he was young, so this is nothing new, though it may be more common among younger speakers. I don't know.

Correct answer by John Lawler on March 19, 2021

As a Brit, I don't recall ever coming across prah-lee -- and I don't think I would understand it unless it were obvious from the context. But, I would say that prob-lee is not uncommon.

Answered by TrevorD on March 19, 2021

I've come across prolly in the books of Ed McBain and George V. Higgins, set in (a thinly disguised) New York, and Massachussets, respectively.

As a South-Eastern British English speaker I sometimes (under the influence, sadly) shorten the word to probly.

Answered by Brian Hooper on March 19, 2021

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