How to pronounce busyness
Say it like BIZ-ee-nus. Busyness has three 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 busyness. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BIZ
- ee
- nus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Busyness 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.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- nusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of busyness
American and British speakers say busyness in essentially the same way: /ˈbɪzinəs/ in the US and /ˈbɪzinɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: BIZ-ee-nis.
What does busyness mean?
- The state of being busy.
Where does busyness come from?
From busy + -ness; the ⟨y⟩ (-y) is kept to distinguish from business (of which it is a doublet), which is derived from the same two morphemes but by regular spelling rules.
Words that rhyme with busyness
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of busyness.
Questions about saying busyness
How do you pronounce busyness?
Say BIZ-ee-nus. The American pronunciation is /ˈbɪzinəs/. In British English it is /ˈbɪzinɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in busyness?
Busyness has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BIZ). Broken into parts: BIZ · ee · nus.
Do Americans and Brits say busyness the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbɪzinəs/ and the British form is /ˈbɪzinɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.