How to pronounce billiards
Say it like BIL-yerdz. Billiards has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce billiards. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BIL
- yerdz
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Billiards pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- yerdzKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
American vs British pronunciation of billiards
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: BIL-eerdz.
What does billiards mean?
- A two-player cue sport played with two cue balls and one red ball, on a snooker sized table.“He was playing billiards in the casino.”
- Any of various games played on a tabletop, usually with several balls, one or more of which is hit by a cue.
- plural of billiard How to pronounce billiard
Where does billiards come from?
From French billard, originally referring to the wooden cue stick, diminutive of Old French bille (“log, tree trunk”), from Vulgar Latin *bilia, probably of Gaulish origin (compare Old Irish bile (“large tree, tree trunk”)), from Proto-Celt
Questions about saying billiards
How do you pronounce billiards?
Say BIL-yerdz. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɪljɚdz/. In British English it is /ˈbɪlɪədz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in billiards?
Billiards has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BIL). Broken into parts: BIL · yerdz.
Is billiards pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈbɪlɪədz/ (BIL-eerdz).