How to pronounce bastille
Say it like BAS-til. Bastille has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bastille. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BAS
- til
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bastille pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BASSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- tilKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of bastille
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2.
British respelling: ba-STEEL.
Other ways to say bastille
Bastille also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- bas-TIL /ˌbæˈstɪl/
What does bastille mean?
- Chiefly in French contexts: a bastion (“projecting part of a rampart or other fortification”) or tower of a castle; also, a fortified tower or other building; or a small citadel or fortress.
- A jail or prison, especially one regarded as mistreating its prisoners.
- To confine (someone or something) in, or as if in, a bastille (noun sense 2.1) or prison; to imprison.
Where does bastille come from?
Late Latin bastile (“wooden siege tower”), bastilla, bastillia, bastillus, bastellum (“fortification; wooden siege tower”)
Questions about saying bastille
How do you pronounce bastille?
Say BAS-til. The American pronunciation is /ˈbæstɪl/. In British English it is /bæˈstiːl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bastille?
Bastille has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BAS). Broken into parts: BAS · til.
Is bastille pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2. The British form is /bæˈstiːl/ (ba-STEEL).