How to pronounce bissextile
Say it like bih-SEK-sty-ul. Bissextile has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bissextile. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- SEK
- sty
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bissextile 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.
- SEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- styKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in time.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of bissextile
- American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3.
British respelling: bih-SEK-stil.
What does bissextile mean?
- Being or having an intercalary day, particularly the quadrennial leap day of the Julian and Gregorian calendars traditionally placed as a "second sixth" day before March 1st.
- Synonym of leap year: a year with an intercalary day.
Where does bissextile come from?
From Latin bisextilis/bissextilis (annus) (“bissextile year”), from bisextus + -ilis, from bis- (“two; twice; doubled”) + sextus (“sixth”) + dies (“day”), from the Julian calendar's original reckoning of its quadrennial intercalary day as a
Questions about saying bissextile
How do you pronounce bissextile?
Say bih-SEK-sty-ul. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈsɛkstaɪəl/. In British English it is /bɪˈsɛkstɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bissextile?
Bissextile has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SEK). Broken into parts: bih · SEK · sty · ul.
Is bissextile pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. American English uses 4 syllables and British English 3. The British form is /bɪˈsɛkstɪl/ (bih-SEK-stil).