How to pronounce bacillus
Say it like buh-SIL-us. Bacillus has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bacillus. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- buh
- SIL
- us
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bacillus pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- buhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- SILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- usKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of bacillus
American and British speakers say bacillus in essentially the same way: /bəˈsɪləs/ in the US and /bəˈsɪləs/ in the UK.
British respelling: buh-SIL-us.
What does bacillus mean?
- Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming aerobic bacteria in the genus Bacillus, some of which cause disease.
- Any bacilliform (rod-shaped) bacterium.
- Something which spreads like bacterial infection.
Where does bacillus come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- b
Words that rhyme with bacillus
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bacillus.
Questions about saying bacillus
How do you pronounce bacillus?
Say buh-SIL-us. The American pronunciation is /bəˈsɪləs/. In British English it is /bəˈsɪləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bacillus?
Bacillus has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIL). Broken into parts: buh · SIL · us.
Do Americans and Brits say bacillus the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bəˈsɪləs/ and the British form is /bəˈsɪləs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.