The phrase “lovely” is pronounced with three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The primary syllable is pronounced with a brief “a” sound, just like the “a” in “cat.” The second syllable is pronounced with a protracted “u” sound, just like the “u” in “impolite.” The third syllable is pronounced with a brief “i” sound, just like the “i” in “sit.”
There are just a few frequent mispronunciations of the phrase “lovely.” One is to pronounce the primary syllable with a protracted “a” sound, just like the “a” in “day.” One other is to pronounce the second syllable with a brief “u” sound, just like the “u” in “put.” Each of those mispronunciations are incorrect.
