How to Pronounce Bugs

To pronounce "bugs", say BUGS — one syllable, IPA /bʌɡz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

bugs

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

4

Letters

/bʌɡz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “bugs”

"bugs" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with thugs and jugs, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: buggs — easy to mix up when writing.

What does bugs mean?

noun

  1. An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).
  2. Any of various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans; e.g. a Morton Bay bug, mudbug.

verb

  1. To annoy.

    “Don’t bug me, I’m busy!”

  2. To install an electronic listening device or devices in.

    “We need to know what’s going on. We’ll bug his house.”

adjective

  1. Crazy; unstable.

Synonyms

bogbogeyboggardboggleboglebugbeardefectglitch

Hear “bugs” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with bugs

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

thugsjugslugstugsjuggstrigslugesbuggsslugsdrugshugsmugs

Related words

hemipteranhemipteronbadgergermmicrobetapteasebeleaguer

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "bugs"?▾

"Bugs" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "bugs"?▾

The IPA transcription of "bugs" is /bʌɡz/.

What does "bugs" mean?▾

Bugs: An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).

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