How to pronounce bile
Say it like BYLE. Bile is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bile. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BYLE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bile pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BYLESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of bile
American and British speakers say bile in essentially the same way: /baɪl/ in the US and /baɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: BYLE.
What does bile mean?
- A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
- Bitterness of temper; ill humor; irascibility.
- Either of two of the four humors, black bile or yellow bile, in ancient and medieval physiology.
- Pronunciation spelling of boil.
Where does bile come from?
Partially displaced native English gall (“bile”), from Middle English galle, from Old English galla, ġealla (“gall, bile”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with bile
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bile.
Questions about saying bile
How do you pronounce bile?
Say BYLE. The American pronunciation is /baɪl/. In British English it is /baɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bile?
Bile is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BYLE.
Do Americans and Brits say bile the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /baɪl/ and the British form is /baɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.