How to pronounce business
Say it like BIZ-nus. Business has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BIZ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce business. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BIZ
- nus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Business pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BIZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- nusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of business
American and British speakers say business in essentially the same way: /ˈbɪznəs/ in the US and /ˈbɪznɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: BIZ-nis.
What does business mean?
- a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it“he bought his brother's business”“a small mom-and-pop business”
- the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects“computers are now widely used in business”
- the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money“he's not in my line of business”
Where does business come from?
From Middle English busines, busynes, businesse, bisynes, from Old English bisiġnes (“business, busyness”), equivalent to busy + -ness.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying business
How do you pronounce business?
Say BIZ-nus. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɪznəs/. In British English it is /ˈbɪznɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in business?
Business has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BIZ). Broken into parts: BIZ · nus.
Do Americans and Brits say business the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbɪznəs/ and the British form is /ˈbɪznɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.