How to pronounce boustrophedon
Say it like boo-struh-FEE-dun. Boustrophedon has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (FEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce boustrophedon. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- boo
- struh
- FEE
- dun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Boustrophedon pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- booGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- struhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- FEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- dunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of boustrophedon
American and British speakers say boustrophedon in essentially the same way: /ˌbustrəˈfidən/ in the US and /ˌbuːstrəˈfiːdən/ in the UK.
British respelling: boo-struh-FEE-dun.
What does boustrophedon mean?
- Text written such that its direction alternates on each line, resulting in a continuous stream of characters spanning multiple lines; frequently also involving the corresponding alternation of letter directionality using mirrored letters, indicating the direction of the text at any given point.
- Synonym of boustrophedonic (“written as a boustrophedon”).
- Synonym of boustrophedonically (“as a boustrophedon or in a boustrophedonic manner”).
Questions about saying boustrophedon
How do you pronounce boustrophedon?
Say boo-struh-FEE-dun. The American pronunciation is /ˌbustrəˈfidən/. In British English it is /ˌbuːstrəˈfiːdən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in boustrophedon?
Boustrophedon has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (FEE). Broken into parts: boo · struh · FEE · dun.
Do Americans and Brits say boustrophedon the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌbustrəˈfidən/ and the British form is /ˌbuːstrəˈfiːdən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.