How to pronounce billion
billion
/ˈbɪljən/
2 syllables, stress on the first
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Billion, sound by sound
| /b/as in bed | A voiced “b”. Do not turn it into “p” at the end of a word. |
| /ɪ/as in ship | A short, relaxed sound. Do not stretch it into “ee”. |
| /l/as in look | Tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth; air flows around the sides. |
| /j/as in yes | Tongue high and forward, as for a very short “ee”. |
| /ə/as in cup | A short, relaxed “uh”; the mouth is barely open. |
| /n/as in no | Tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth, air through the nose. |
In a sentence
English is spoken by about a billion people.
More words with the /ɪ/ sound
- tinnitus/ˈtɪnɪtəs/
- vignette/vɪnˈjet/
- kyrgyzstan/ˈkɪrgɪstæn/
- fatima/ˈfæθɪmə/
- niche/nɪtʃ/
- yvonne/ɪˈvɑːn/
- ubiquitous/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
- iran/ɪˈrɑːn/
- nvidia/ˈenˈvɪdiːə/
- this/ðɪs/
Questions and answers
How do you pronounce billion?
Billion is pronounced /ˈbɪljən/ in American English.
How many syllables are in billion?
Billion has 2 syllables.
Which syllable is stressed in billion?
The first syllable: /ˈbɪljən/.