How to pronounce bellows
Say it like BEL-ohz. Bellows has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bellows. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BEL
- ohz
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bellows pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ohzKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of bellows
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: BEL-ohz.
What does bellows mean?
- A device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. At its most simple terms a bellows is a container which is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume which has an outlet or outlets where one wishes to blow air.“When wood fires were common, so were bellows for helping start them.”
- Any flexible container or enclosure, as one used to cover a moving joint.
- Flexible, light-tight enclosures connecting the lensboard and the camera back.
- plural of bellow How to pronounce bellow
- To operate a bellows; to direct air at (something) using a bellows.
- To expand and contract like a bellows.
- To fold up like a bellows; to accordion.
Where does bellows come from?
For the pronunciation /ˈbɛl.əs/, compare bodice, gallows.
Questions about saying bellows
How do you pronounce bellows?
Say BEL-ohz. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɛloʊz/. In British English it is /ˈbɛləʊz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bellows?
Bellows has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BEL). Broken into parts: BEL · ohz.
Is bellows pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˈbɛləʊz/ (BEL-ohz).