How to pronounce “become”
Say “become” in 2 beats
become
/bɪˈkʌm/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /bɪkʌm/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- bɪbɪ
- kʌmkʌmstress
- IPA (American)
- /bɪˈkʌm/
- IPA (British)
- /bɪkʌm/
- Respelling
- bi-KUM
- Syllables
- 2 — bɪ-KɅM
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: bɪ-KɅM. “kʌm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- verb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/bɪˈkʌm/
/bɪkʌm/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “become” means
- verb
enter or assume a certain state or condition
“He became annoyed when he heard the bad news”
- verb
undergo a change or development
“The water turned into ice”
- verb
come into existence
“What becomes has duration”
Say it in a sentence
“She hopes to become a doctor after finishing university.”“become”, answered
How do you pronounce “become”?
“become” is pronounced /bɪˈkʌm/ (bi-KUM) in American English and /bɪkʌm/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “kʌm”. Build it as bɪ-KɅM, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “become” have?
2: bɪ · kʌm. The beat lands on the second, “kʌm”.
Is “become” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /bɪˈkʌm/ (bi-KUM); British English says /bɪkʌm/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “become” mean?
As a verb: enter or assume a certain state or condition For example: “He became annoyed when he heard the bad news” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “become”?
Stress the second syllable: bɪ-KɅM. “kʌm” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “become” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.