How to Pronounce Business

To pronounce "business", say BUS-in-ess — 3 syllables, IPA /ˈbɪznəs/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

business

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying business, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

3

Syllables

8

Letters

/ˈbɪznəs/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/bˈɪznəs/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “business”

"business" has 3 syllables: bus-in-ess. It rhymes with agribusiness and nonbusiness, if that helps it stick.

What does business mean?

noun

  1. A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.

    “I was left my father's business.”

  2. A person's occupation, work, or trade.

    “He is in the motor and insurance businesses.”

adjective

  1. Of, to, pertaining to or utilized for purposes of conducting trade, commerce, governance, advocacy or other professional purposes.

    “Please do not use this phone for personal calls; it is a business phone.”

  2. Professional, businesslike, having concern for good business practice.

Hear “business” 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 business

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

agribusinessnonbusiness

Related words

mercantileclienteleoccupationpatronagecommercialbyplayconcernline

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "business"?▾

"Business" has 3 syllables: bus · in · ess.

What is the IPA transcription of "business"?▾

The IPA transcription of "business" is /ˈbɪznəs/.

What does "business" mean?▾

Business: A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “business” in the full dictionary →