How to pronounce by
Say it like BY. By 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 by. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
By 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 by
American and British speakers say by in essentially the same way: /baɪ/ in the US and /baɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BY.
What does by mean?
- so as to pass a given point“every hour a train goes past”
- in reserve; not for immediate use“started setting aside money to buy a car”“put something by for her old age”
Where does by come from?
Cognate with West Frisian by (“by; near”), Afrikaans by (“at; by; near”), Saterland Frisian bie (“near; by”), Dutch bij (“near; by”), German Low German bi (“by; near; at”), German bei (“by; near; at”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with by
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of by.
Words that sound like by
Questions about saying by
How do you pronounce by?
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 by?
By is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BY.
Do Americans and Brits say by 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 by?
By sounds the same as buy, bye in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.