How to pronounce buy
Say it like BY. Buy 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 buy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Buy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of buy
American and British speakers say buy in essentially the same way: /baɪ/ in the US and /baɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BY.
What does buy mean?
- obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction“The family purchased a new car”“The conglomerate acquired a new company”
- make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence“This judge can be bought”
- be worth or be capable of buying“This sum will buy you a ride on the train”
- an advantageous purchase“she got a bargain at the auction”“the stock was a real buy at that price”
Where does buy come from?
Cognate with Scots buy (“to buy, purchase”), obsolete Dutch beugen (“to buy”), Old Saxon buggian, buggean (“to buy”), Old Norse byggja (“to build, settle”), Gothic 𐌱𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bugjan, “to buy”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with buy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of buy.
Words that sound like buy
Questions about saying buy
How do you pronounce buy?
Say BY. The American pronunciation is /baɪ/. In British English it is /baɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in buy?
Buy is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BY.
Do Americans and Brits say buy the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /baɪ/ and the British form is /baɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as buy?
Buy sounds the same as by, bye in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.