How to pronounce rooibos
Say it like ROY-baws. Rooibos has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ROY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce rooibos. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ROY
- baws
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rooibos pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ROYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oy" in boy.
- bawsGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of rooibos
American and British speakers say rooibos in essentially the same way: /ˈrɔɪˌbɔs/ in the US and /ˈrɔɪbɒs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ROY-bos.
What does rooibos mean?
- A shrub (Aspalathus linearis) from which a tisane (herbal tea) is made.
- The tisane (herbal tea) made from this plant.
- Various shrubs of the genus Combretum.
Where does rooibos come from?
Unadapted borrowing from Afrikaans rooibos (literally “redbush”), from Dutch rooi (“red”) + bos (“bush”).
Questions about saying rooibos
How do you pronounce rooibos?
Say ROY-baws. The American pronunciation is /ˈrɔɪˌbɔs/. In British English it is /ˈrɔɪbɒs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rooibos?
Rooibos has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (ROY). Broken into parts: ROY · baws.
Do Americans and Brits say rooibos the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈrɔɪˌbɔs/ and the British form is /ˈrɔɪbɒs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.