How to Pronounce By

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

by

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

2

Letters

/baɪ/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “by”

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

Sounds exactly like: bye, buy, bi, bae — easy to mix up when writing.

What does by mean?

noun

  1. A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.

noun

  1. A contest, especially for spelling; see spelling bee.

    “geography bee”

  2. A community gathering to share labour, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.

noun

  1. A ring or torque; a bracelet.

Synonyms

king of insects

Hear “by” 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 by

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

wryexemplifyrectifyhighlieapplyfortifyawrymollifyamplifynullifycry

Related words

nearbesidealongsideadjacentcloseatviathrough

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "by"?▾

"By" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "by"?▾

The IPA transcription of "by" is /baɪ/.

What does "by" mean?▾

By: A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.

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