How to pronounce business in American English

IPA /ˈbɪznəs/ Syllables 2 · bihz·nuhs Stress 1st syllable

BIHZ·nuhs

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Americans pronounce business as BIHZ-nuhs (/ˈbɪznəs/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch BIHZ — keep everything else short and quick.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "business" sounds like BIHZ·nuhs.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, a connected-speech trick that makes phrases flow. It comes out as BIHZ·nuhs.

In real conversation

Hear "business" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"He filed for bankruptcy after his business failed completely."

hee FAHYLD fer BANG·kruhp·see AF·ter hihz BIHZ·nuhs FAYLD kuhm·PLEET·lee

"It's a very busy season for our business."

ihts uh VEH·ree BIH·zee SEE·zuhn fer owr BIHZ·nuhs

"The bread and butter business is booming."

dhuh BREHD and BUH·der BIHZ·nuhs ihz BOO·muhng

"The typical citizen is busy with illicit business."

dhuh TIH·puh·kuhl SIH·duh·zuhn ihz BIH·zee wihth ih·LIH·suht BIHZ·nuhs

"This is a big risk for his business."

dhihs ihz uh BIHG RIHSK fer hihz BIHZ·nuhs

"We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship."

wee LUUK FOR·werd tuh uh lahng and MYOO·choo·uh·lee beh·nuh·FIH·shuhl BIHZ·nuhs ree·LAY·shuhn·shihp

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch BIHZ — keep everything else short and quick.

bihz·NUHS→BIHZ·nuhs

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

BIHZ·NUHS→BIHZ·nuhs

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "business" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "BIHZ" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "BIHZ-nuhs" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

Why does the second syllable in "business" reduce to "uh"?

Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "BIHZ-nuhs" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.

Is the American pronunciation of "business" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "BIHZ-nuhs" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

Now you try.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Why "business" sounds like BIHZ·nuhs.

Hear "business" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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