English spellings/Catalogs/B
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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
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 regularize to ‘Bélarəs’, with the u as schwa, but this hasn’t happened; the most common alternative is still Belarùs, and one even hears the plainly Russian-influenced *Byéla-rûs and *Byéla-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
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 (not 'Boôto')
bî- two = bŷ preposition = bŷ- extra = bŷe cricket, goodbye = buŷ sell = bî bisexual
bîas
bîased *bŷəst
bìdet *bêedây
bìêr corpse = bêer drink
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
Bóllywood
bôlt metal = Bôlt = Bôult persons
Bólton city, person = Bôulton person
bómb *bóm
Bombây
bómbing *bómming
bôna fîdê
bonhomìê *bónə-mêe
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
Bróntê, sometimes 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
Bulgãria
bùll
bùlletin
búllshit one word
buŏy sea = bŏy child
buŏyant *bŏyant
bürden load = Bürdon person
bûreau *byûrô, plural bûreaux, *bûrôz, cf. pólitburo
bureaucracy *byûrócracy, *beaûrócracy
bürger hamburger = bürgher business = Bërger person
bürgeoning
bürn fire = Bÿrne name
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
bŷe-bye!
bŷ-election
bŷ-product
Bÿrd person = bïrd fly
Býzantîne *Bŷ-zántîne