How to pronounce business

The trap

Three written vowels, two syllables. The i after the s is not said, and the u sounds like the i of “sit”: BIZ-nus.

Tip. Say “biz”, then “nus”. Think of it as “biz-ness” without the middle.

Say it in a sentence

1. She runs her own business. Practice
2. I am here on business this week. Practice

Tono scores English against the US model and colors every word, so you can see whether business landed.

More words like this: fewer syllables than they look

• every /ˈɛvri/
• restaurant /ˈrɛstərɑːnt/
• favorite /ˈfeɪvrət/
• different /ˈdɪfrənt/
• comfortable /ˈkʌmftɚbəl/
• vegetable /ˈvɛdʒtəbəl/