How to pronounce bulb
Say it like BUHLB. Bulb 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 bulb. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BUHLB
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bulb pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BUHLBSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of bulb
American and British speakers say bulb in essentially the same way: /bʌlb/ in the US and /bʌlb/ in the UK.
British respelling: BUHLB.
What does bulb mean?
- a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
- electric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity
- a rounded part of a cylindrical instrument (usually at one end)“the bulb of a syringe”
Questions about saying bulb
How do you pronounce bulb?
Say BUHLB. The American pronunciation is /bʌlb/. In British English it is /bʌlb/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bulb?
Bulb is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BUHLB.
Do Americans and Brits say bulb the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bʌlb/ and the British form is /bʌlb/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.