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This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with B. To see a different letter (or the main page) navigate with the table at the top.

B

B = bê is, bêe insect

bàa sheep BrE = bàr drink, chocolate, soap

baboôn

Bàch music = bách Welsh

báchelor unmarried = Bátchelor person

báckbiting one word

báckhand tennis

back-hánded ambiguous

bácklash one word

backyàrd one word

bád evil = báde asked

Baghdád BrE; AmE Bághdad Bágd-

bâil law, cricket = bâle hay, parachute

bâilie magistrate = Bâiley person (also Ôld Bâiley, London's law court)

bâit hook = bâte fury, restrain

bâize cloth = bâys bay

Bàli island = BrE bàrley beer

Bålkans cf. bálcony

båll game = båwl shout

ballerìna cf. pizzerìa

bállèt *bállây, cf. bállot

bàlm -àm

bàlmy sea = BrE bàrmy daft

Båltimore

báluster cf. bánister

banàl BrE; AmE bânal

banálity

banāna

bánd music = bánned ban

bándwagon one word

Bangkók cf. Háncóck - both -ngk-

bánish

Barák Ehud = Baráck Obama

Bàrbara

barbãrian

barbáric

bàrbecûe *bàrbeqûe

barcarólle or -óle

bàrd poet, bacon = bàrred bar

bãre naked = béãr animal, tolerate

bãrely

Bárenbŏim

bàrgaín *bàrgin

bàrley

bàr mítzvah

bàrnacle

báron nobleman = bárren bare = Bárron person

baróque BrE *bərók, AmE *barôke

bárrage -àzh BrE, AmE *bəràzh

bárrier

bàrtender

bâse basic = bâss treble, cf. báss fish = Báss person

bâses base -ssíz = bâsses music

bâsês basis -ssêez

bâsic -ss-

bâsin -ss-

bâsis -ssíss

bāsk sun = Bāsque people

bāsketball one word

báss fish = Báss person

bâss treble = bâse basic

bassoôn -ssoô-

bâste pour, sew = bâsed located

batállion cf. báttle

bâte anger, breath = bâit lure

bāth = Bāth city cf. bâthe swim, final e signifying voiced th

bátón - one t, cf. Pátton, Hátton etc.

báttlefield one word

Báx person = bácks back

bazàar *bəzàr, cf. bizàrre, í

Bà’ath party BrE = bāth water

bê is = bêe insect

bêach sand = bêech tree

bêad string = Bêde person

bêan eat = bêen was

béãr tolerate, animal = bãre naked, cf. bêer drink, hêar listen

bêat win, hit, rhythm = bêet sugar

bêater beat BrE = bêta Greek

bêátify saint cf. Sêáttle and beaûtify beauty

Bêatríce, Bêatrix, a as schwa: Bêə-

beau boyfriend = Bô Diddley

beaûty *byûty

because ó

Béchèt *Béshây

bêe insect = bê is

bêetle insect = Bêatle Beatles, cf. bêat rhythm

bêech tree = beâch sand

bêen was = bêan eat

bêer drink = bìêr coffin

bêet sugar = bêat hit

Bèethôven *Bâitovən

behêmoth

Bèijíng - j not zh sound

bêíng cf. Bíng

Beirût *Bây-roôt

Belarûs - one would expect this post-Soviet word (once literally rendered as ‘White Russia’) to regularise to *Bélərəs, with the u (as well as the a) as schwa, but this hasn’t happened, and only occasionally is the first syllable stressed; the most common alternative is still *Belərùs, and one may even hear *Byélə-rûs and *Byélə-rùs

Bélfāst

Bélgium *Béljəm

belîe cf. relŷ, belŷing, lîe

belìêve

béllicôse

bellígerent -j-

béllow shout, bellows cf. belôw under

Bénaud *Bénnô

bénefit

benévolent

Benìn

Beninêse

bérèt *bérrây

bërk insult = Bürke person

Bërkelêy California cf. Bàrclaỳ person = BrE Berkeley person

Bërkshîre AmE; BrE *Bàkshə, as with bàrk dog, tree Bàrking town

Berlín

Bérne Switzerland = bãirn baby, cf. bürn fire, brook

bérry fruit = bury ground = Bury town

bërth ship = bïrth born

bêta BrE; AmE bèta

Bétjeman *Bétcheman

bewíldered BrE *biwíldəd, AmE *bêwíldərd

bezìque *bəzêek

Bhutàn

Bhutanêse

Bhùtto - this is the family's pronunciation, but since the death of Benazir the BBC and other broadcasters have taken to saying *Boôto

bî- two = bŷ preposition = bŷ- extra = bŷe cricket, goodbye = buŷ sell = bî bisexual

bîas

bîased *bŷəst

bìdet *bêedây

bìêr corpse = bêer drink

bîght loop = bîte teeth

bígot

Bíllie female = Bílly male = bílly goat

bîô-

biógraphy

biólogy

Bïrmingham *Bïrmingəm, g not sounded separately

bïrthplace one word

bíscuit *bísket, cf. bāsket

bîson cf. bâsin

bîte food = bŷte computer = bîght loop

bizàrre *bízàr, cf. bazàar *bəzàr

bláckmail

blānch white = Blānche person

blancmange *bləmónzh

blãre noise = Blãir person

bléssed *blést; but mostly as attributive adj: a *bléssíd thíng

blóc grouping = blóck prevent, wood, building

blónd male person, male and female adjective = blónde female person

blòodstained one word

blòodthirsty one word

blûe colour = bleŵ blow

blürred cf. cûred

bŏard wooden, directors = bŏred boring, cf. brŏad wide

bôast

bôat

Boàteng Bwà-

Bôeing person = bôwing music

Boer *Bùer

bôgey golf, ghost = bôgie trolley, truck = Bôgey Bogart

bôld brave = bôwled bowl

Bólingbroke ends like broòk

Bóllywood

bôlt metal = Bôlt = Bôult persons

Bólton city, person = Bôulton person

bómb *bóm

Bombây

bómbing *bómming

bôna fîdê

bonhomìê *bónóm-êe

boôgie-woôgie

boòkcase one word: extended k sound

boòkkeeper one word: extended k sound

boôst

boôze drink = boôs boo

Bŏrdeaux *Bŏrdô, cf. Bardôt, *Bardô

bŏre boring, carried bŏar animal = bŏor rude

bŏred boring = bŏard wooden, directors

bŏredom *bŏrdum

Bŏrgia *Bŏrjə

bŏrn birth = bŏrne wind = bŏurn stream

bòrough town BrE -rə, AmE = búrrow earth

bosom *bùzəm

bôth

boûgainvillea *bûgənvília

bòugh tree = bòw low, ship

bôulder rock = bôlder bold

Boulogne *Bəlŏin

böurbon

bŏurgeois bŏrzhwà

bourgeoisìê bŏrzhwà-zêe

bŏurne stream = bŏrn birth = bŏrne carried

Bŏurnemouth *Bŏrnməth

bòw low, ship = bòugh tree = bôw knot

bòwel

bòwer tree = bàuer euchre

bôwl all meanings

bóxing sport = Bóxing Day

búffalo animal = Búffalo America

brâin head cf. Brîan person

brâinwash one word

Brasília with an s

Brazíl with a z

bréad food = bréd breed

breâk smash, interval = brâke car

breâkaway adjective cf. breâk awây verb

breâkdown noun cf. breâk dòwn verb

breâkthroûgh noun *brâkethrû; cf. breâk throûgh verb

bréakfast

bréath noun unvoiced th, brêathe verb voiced th, cf. mòuth, same noun-verb distinction in pronunciation of the th, but always the same spelling

bréathtaking one word

bréd breed = bréad food

brêed animal cf. bréad food

bréthren -dhrən

Brîan = Brŷan cf. brâin, O’Brîen (one is more likely to meet a Brian O'Brien than a Brien O'Brian)

brìêf

brîght -ît

Brísbane *Brízbən

Brítain country -tən; = Bríton citizen, Brítten, Brítton, Bríttain persons

Bríttany France ≈ Brítney person

Brno has a stressed schwa: *Brəno

brŏad cf. bŏard

bróccolì *bróckəlêy

Brómwich *Brómmidge

Brónte *Brónty; often written Brontë

broôch pin AmE; BrE = brôach speak

broôm sweep = brûme mist

bróthel unvoiced th

bròther voiced th

Bròúgh *Brúff

broûgham carriage = broôm sweep - or gha as schwa, broôəm

broûhàhà

Brûges = Brûgge *Brûzh

brûise contusion *brûze = breŵs beer

Bruneî

Brunél

Brússels

Bucharést Bùka-

Budapést Bùda-

Bùddha -ùdə

Bùddhist -ùdi-

Buénos Aîres Argentina –ríz or Ãires *Ãríz, cf. Ãries Ram

bùffèt eat *bùffây

búffet hit, t sounded

buffoôn -ffoô-

buíld *bíld

buílding *bílding

Bulawâyo

Bulgãria

bùll

bùlletin

búllshit one word

buŏy sea = bŏy child

buŏyant *bŏyant

bürden load = Bürdon person

bûreau *byûrô, plural bûreaux, *bûrôz, cf. pólitburo

bureaucracy *byû-rócracy

bürger hamburger = bürgher business = Bërger person

bürgeoning

bürn fire, stream = Bÿrne name cf. Bérne Switzerland

bürqa

búrrow ground = AmE bòrôugh town cf. Búrrôughs person

bús transport = búss kiss

búsed driven or bússed = búst bosom, broke

búses plural, verb *bússes

bùsh

búsing -ss-

business *bízniss, cf. bíz, busy-ness being busy

businessman one word, bíz-

bússed driven or búsed = búst bosom, broken

busy bíz-

busybódy bíz-; one word

busy-ness busy cf. business matter - both bíz-

bútt head, joke, buttocks = bút however

bútterfly

buŷ sell = bŷ preposition = bŷ- incidental = bŷe cricket = bî- two = bî bisexual

bwàna

bŷe-bye!

bŷ-election

bŷ-product

Bÿrd person = bïrd fly

Býzantîne *Bŷ-zántîne