How to pronounce butane
Say it like byoo-TAYN. Butane has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAYN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce butane. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- byoo
- TAYN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Butane pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- byooKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- TAYNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of butane
American and British speakers say butane in essentially the same way: /bjuˈteɪn/ in the US and /bjuːˈteɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: byoo-TAYN.
Other ways to say butane
Butane also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- BYOO-tayn /ˈbjuteɪn/
What does butane mean?
- A hydrocarbon (either of the two isomers of C₄H₁₀, n-butane and 2-methylpropane) found in gaseous petroleum fractions.
- The n-butane isomer only.
Where does butane come from?
IUPAC nomenclature, from but- (“four carbon prefix”) + -ane (“alkane suffix”), the former is derived from the same stem as the foul-smelling carboxylic acid liberated in rancid butter, "butyric acid", hence cognate with butter.
Words that rhyme with butane
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of butane.
Questions about saying butane
How do you pronounce butane?
Say byoo-TAYN. The American pronunciation is /bjuˈteɪn/. In British English it is /bjuːˈteɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in butane?
Butane has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAYN). Broken into parts: byoo · TAYN.
Do Americans and Brits say butane the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bjuˈteɪn/ and the British form is /bjuːˈteɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.