How to pronounce bamboo
Say it like bam-BOO. Bamboo has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BOO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bamboo. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bam
- BOO
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bamboo pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bamKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- BOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of bamboo
American and British speakers say bamboo in essentially the same way: /bæmˈbu/ in the US and /bæmˈbuː/ in the UK.
British respelling: bam-BOO.
What does bamboo mean?
- the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles
- woody tropical grass having hollow woody stems; mature canes used for construction and furniture
Words that rhyme with bamboo
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bamboo.
Questions about saying bamboo
How do you pronounce bamboo?
Say bam-BOO. The American pronunciation is /bæmˈbu/. In British English it is /bæmˈbuː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bamboo?
Bamboo has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (BOO). Broken into parts: bam · BOO.
Do Americans and Brits say bamboo the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bæmˈbu/ and the British form is /bæmˈbuː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.