English spellings/Catalogs/B: Difference between revisions

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


'''bátón''' - one '''t''', cf. '''Pátton''', '''Hátton''' etc.
'''bátón''', one '''t''', cf. '''Pátton''', '''Hátton''' etc.


'''báttlefield''' one word  
'''báttlefield''' one word  
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'''Beirût''' *Bây-roôt
'''Beirût''' *Bây-roôt


'''[[Belarus|Belarûs]]''' - one would expect this post-Soviet word (once literally rendered as ‘White Russia’, and still called 'Weißrussland' in German) 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; similarly...
'''[[Belarus|Belarûs]]''': one would expect this post-Soviet word (once literally rendered as ‘White Russia’, and still called 'Weißrussland' in German) 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; similarly...


'''[[Belarussian]]''', '''Belorusian''', etc., with various pronunciations
'''[[Belarussian]]''', '''Belorusian''', etc., with various pronunciations
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'''busybódy''' bíz-; one word  
'''busybódy''' bíz-; one word  


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


'''bûte''' ''drug'' = '''beaût''' ''beautiful'' = '''Bûte''' ''Scotland
'''bûte''' ''drug'' = '''beaût''' ''beautiful'' = '''Bûte''' ''Scotland

Revision as of 14:33, 24 November 2009


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  


This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with B. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.[e]


B = is = bêe insect

bàa sheep = bàh exclamation = BrE bàr drink, chocolate, soap

baboôn

Bàch music = bàch Welsh

báchelor unmarried = Bátchelor person

backbénch adjective one word

báckbiting one word

báckhand tennis

back-hánded ambiguous

bácklash one word

backyàrd one word

bád evil = báde asked

Baghdád BrE; AmE Bághdad Bágd-

Bahrèin; some pronounce the h separately from àh

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

bålk

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

bamboôzle

banàl BrE; AmE bânal

banálity

banāna

bánd music = bánned ban

bándwagon one word

Bangkók cf. Háncóck, both -ngk-

bánish

Baràk Ehud = Baràck Obama (though some British broadcasters pronounce Obama's first name like bárrack)

Bàrbara

barbãrian

barbáric

bàrbecûe *bàrbeqûe is a common error

barcarólle or -óle

bàrd poet, bacon = bàrred bar

bãre naked = béãr animal, tolerate

bãrely

Bárenbŏim

bàrgaín *bàrgin

bàrley

bàrman one word

bàr mítzvah

bàrnacle

báron nobleman = bárren bare = Bárron person

baróque BrE *bərók, AmE *barôke

bárrack, cf. Baràck = Baràk

bárràge -àzh BrE, AmE *bəràzh

bárrier

bàrtender

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

Bàsel Switzerland, cf. Básil person

bâses base -ssíz = bâsses music

bâsês basis -ssêez

bâsic -ss-

Bâsie -ss- cf. Bássey (minimal pair)

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

båulk (mostly British, billiards spelling of bålk)

båwdy

Báx person = bácks back

bazàar *bəzàr, cf. bizàrre, í

Bà’ath party BrE = bāth water

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 = Diddley

beaûty *byûty

because ó

Béchèt *Béshây

bêe insect = 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

befŏrehand one word

behêmoth

behôve BrE; AmE behoôve

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’, and still called 'Weißrussland' in German) 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; similarly...

Belarussian, Belorusian, etc., with various pronunciations

Bélfāst

Bélgium *Béljəm

belîe cf. relŷ, belŷing, lîe

belìêve

béllicôse

bellígerent -j-

béllow shout, bellows cf. belôw under

bélly

*belŷ, see belîe

Bénaud *Bénnô

bénefit

Bénettón

benévolent

Benìn

Beninêse

Bénnett usually has two ts

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 but usually transferred stress in Bërlin Wåll

Bérne Switzerland = bãirn baby, or = bürn fire, brook

bérry fruit = bury ground = Bury town = Bérry person

bërth ship = bïrth born

bêta BrE; AmE bèta

Bétjeman *Bétcheman

bewãre

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

bîas

bîased *bŷəst

bìdet *bêedây

bìêr corpse = bêer drink

bîght loop = bîte teeth

bígot rhymes with Píggott

Bíllie female = Bílly male = bílly goat

bîô-

biógraphy

biólogy

Bïrmingham *Bïrmingəm, g not sounded separately

bïrthdate one word

bïrthplace one word

bíscuit *bísket, cf. bāsket

bîson cf. bâsin

bîte food = bŷte computer = bîght loop

bizàrre *bí-zàr, cf. bazàar *bəzàr

bláckcurrant cf. cúrrent

bláckmail

blānch white = Blānche person

blancmange *bləmónzh

blãre noise = Blãir person

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

blóc grouping = blóck prevent, wood, building

Bloemfontein *Blùmfontâyn

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

Bogotá Spanish accent usually written; pronounced *Bogotà

Bŏisê

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

boòkshop one word

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 -, AmE = búrrow earth

bosom *bùzəm

bôth

bóttleneck

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

brâinchîld one word

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

bréakfast

breâkthroûgh noun *brâkethrû; cf. breâk throûgh verb

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 adjective one word

Brécon Wales cf. brácken plant (minimal pair)

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 FranceBrítney person

brŏad cf. bŏard = bŏred, BrE minimal pairs

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, *brûəm

broûhàhà

bròw

bròwbeat

Brûges = Brûgge *Brûzh

brûise contusion *brûze = breŵs beer

Bruneî

Brunél

Brússels

Bucharést Bùka-

búd = Búd

búddy = Búddy

Budapést

Bùddha -ùdə (cf. original spelling of Bùddah Récords)

Bùddhist -ùdi-

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

bùffèt eat *bùffây

búffet hit, t sounded

buffoôn -ffoô-

Bûíck

buíld *bíld

buílding *bílding

Bulawâyo

Bulgãria

bùll

bùlletin

búllshit one word

búmblebee cf. Dímbleby

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

bury ground = bérry tree = Bury England

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 or búsed driven = búst bosom, broken

busy bíz-

busybódy bíz-; one word

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

bûte drug = beaût beautiful = Bûte Scotland

bútt head, joke, buttocks = bút however

bútterfly

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

bwàna

bŷe-bye!

bŷ-election

bŷ-product

Bÿrd person = bïrd fly

Býzantîne *Bŷ-zántîne