How Do You Spell TENUOUSLY?

Pronunciation: [tˈɛnjuːəsli] (IPA)

The word "tenuously" is spelled with a "t", "e", "n", "u", "o", "u", and "s", but its pronunciation may be confusing. Using IPA phonetic transcription, we can see that it is pronounced as /ˈtɛnjuəsli/. This means that the "t" is pronounced as a soft "t" sound followed by a short "e" vowel sound. The "n" has more emphasis than the "u", which is pronounced like a "w". Then "o" is pronounced as a short "o" sound, followed by another "u" pronounced as a "yoo" sound. The word is ended with the "s" pronounced with a soft "s" sound.

Meaning and Definition
Top Common Misspellings
Other Common Misspellings
Etymology
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TENUOUSLY Meaning and Definition

  1. Tenuously is an adverb that refers to something being weakly or flimsily connected, maintained, or supported. It describes a fragile and delicate state or relationship that lacks certainty, stability, or strength. The term is often used to depict situations, ideas, or arguments that are based on very weak evidence, logic, or reasoning.

    In a literal sense, "tenuously" can describe physical objects that are just barely holding together. For instance, a rope that is loosely tied or a structure that is poorly constructed may be described as tenuously connected or supported.

    Metaphorically, "tenuously" is employed to illustrate concepts or relationships that are barely sustained or maintained. It can describe a fragile connection between two people who have little in common or little interaction, yet somehow manage to maintain a loose bond. Similarly, it can characterize an argument that is weakly founded on unsubstantial evidence or lacks proper logical support.

    Overall, "tenuously" conveys a sense of vulnerability or instability. When something exists or continues tenuously, it implies that it is barely clinging on or existing by a thread, with the potential to easily unravel or break. The adverb emphasizes the feeble and uncertain nature of a situation or connection, highlighting its lack of strength or reliability.

Top Common Misspellings for TENUOUSLY *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for TENUOUSLY

Etymology of TENUOUSLY

The word "tenuously" is derived from the adjective "tenuous". The term "tenuous" comes from the Latin word "tenuis", meaning "thin" or "fine". The Latin root eventually evolved into the Old French word "tenu", which carried the same meaning. From there, it made its way into Middle English as "teneuous" and eventually became "tenuous" in its modern spelling. The adverb form "tenuously" is created by adding the suffix "-ly" to the adjective "tenuous", indicating that something is done in a tenuous manner.

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Correct spelling for tenuously
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