How to pronounce besiege
Say it like bih-SEEJ. Besiege has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEEJ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce besiege. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- SEEJ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Besiege pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SEEJSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of besiege
American and British speakers say besiege in essentially the same way: /bɪˈsidʒ/ in the US and /bɪˈsiːdʒ/ in the UK.
British respelling: bih-SEEJ.
What does besiege mean?
- To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
- To beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.
- To assail or ply, as with requests or demands.“The box office was besieged by fans wanting tickets.”
Where does besiege come from?
From Middle English besegen, bisegen, equivalent to be- (“around, about”) + siege.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with besiege
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of besiege.
Questions about saying besiege
How do you pronounce besiege?
Say bih-SEEJ. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈsidʒ/. In British English it is /bɪˈsiːdʒ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in besiege?
Besiege has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEEJ). Broken into parts: bih · SEEJ.
Do Americans and Brits say besiege the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪˈsidʒ/ and the British form is /bɪˈsiːdʒ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.