Pronunciation

How to pronounce “biodiversity

“biodiversity” is pronounced /ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/ (by-oh-dy-VUR-suh-tee) in American English and /baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/ in British English — 6 syllables, stressed on “vɝ”.
The sound

Say “biodiversity” in 6 beats

Say it like this

biodiversity

/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

6 beats
  1. baɪbaɪ
  2. daɪdaɪ
  3. stress
  4. titi
IPA (American)
/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/
IPA (British)
/baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/
Respelling
by-oh-dy-VUR-suh-tee
Syllables
6 — baɪ-oʊ-daɪ-Vɝ-sə-ti
Stress
Stress the fourth syllable: baɪ-oʊ-daɪ-Vɝ-sə-ti. “vɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/

British

/baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “biodiversity” means

  1. noun

    the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

    a high level of biodiversity is desirable

Say it in a sentence

Hedgerows support far more biodiversity than open fields.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

10 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

biodiversity”, answered

How do you pronounce “biodiversity”?

“biodiversity” is pronounced /ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/ (by-oh-dy-VUR-suh-tee) in American English and /baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/ in British English — 6 syllables, stressed on “vɝ”. Build it as baɪ-oʊ-daɪ-Vɝ-sə-ti, then run the fourth syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “biodiversity” have?

6: baɪ · oʊ · daɪ · vɝ · sə · ti. The beat lands on the fourth, “vɝ”.

Is “biodiversity” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɝsəti/ (by-oh-dy-VUR-suh-tee); British English says /baɪəʊdaɪvɜːsɪti/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “biodiversity” mean?

As a noun: the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole) For example: “a high level of biodiversity is desirable”

Where is the stress in “biodiversity”?

Stress the fourth syllable: baɪ-oʊ-daɪ-Vɝ-sə-ti. “vɝ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “biodiversity” and see every sound

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