Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookWord 22 of 100 · Fewer beats than you think
How to pronounce business
/ˈbɪznəs/ British English
BIZ·nəs
2 beats (syllables). The strong beat is the first one.
a Crossed-out letters are silent.a Coloured letters don’t sound the way they look.
✗ Many people say
BIZ·i·ness
✓ Say
BIZ·nəs
My tip
The u sounds like i, and the i is silent.
In a sentence
How’s business?
Now you say it
- Listen to me two or three times.
- Say it slowly, one beat at a time: BIZ-nəs.
- Say the sentence at normal speed.
Questions
How do you pronounce business?
In British English, business is pronounced /ˈbɪznəs/. Say it like this: BIZ-nəs. The u sounds like i, and the i is silent.
How many syllables are in business?
When you say it, business has 2 syllables: BIZ-nəs. The strong beat is the first one, BIZ.
More words like this: fewer beats than you think
Practise these sounds
- The schwa, /ə/The small, weak sound in this word. It’s one of the 4 sounds you can practise completely free in my Sound Atlas.
- The strong beat: /ɪ/ as in “ship”Meet this sound and hear it in my Sound Atlas. Free.
- The Sound MapAll 44 sounds of British English, in my voice. Free.
- Pitch Perfect: the Silent letters setHear me say it, record yourself, and see your sound under mine. A premium game.
- More gamesFive of my English games are free to play.