Ev'ry

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /É›vɹi/
• US IPA: /É›vɹi/
• Rhymes: -É›vɹi

Origin

Every used to be a trisyllabic word, and it was therefore at times necessary to replace the second e with an apostrophe to pronounce the word as two syllables for poetic reasons.

Full definition of ev'ry

Adverb

1. Every.
• The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter (1992) p. 345:There’s a boy snail for ev’ry girl snail, There’s a boy quail for ev’ry girl quail/ There’s a boy mouse for ev’ry girl mouse, There’s a boy grouse for ev’ry girl grouse
• Alan Aldridge, The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics (1991) p. 185:Ev’ry night when ev’rybody has fun, here am I sitting all on my own.
• The Library of Congress, America the Beautiful (July 4th, 1895):America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw; Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

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