How To Pronounce Boss

boss

Phonemic

/bɒs/

Phonetic

[bʷɒs]

Phonemic

/bɔːs/

In British English, boss is pronounced /bɒs/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [bʷɒs]. In American English, it is pronounced /bɔːs/.

Boss has one syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

bɒs

Boss has one syllable in British English.

boss + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /ɪz/ after /s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ/.

/ˈbɒs.ɪz/

/ˈbɔː.sɪz/

boss + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /t/ after a voiceless consonant.

/bɒst/

/bɔːst/

boss + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈbɒs.ɪŋ/

/ˈbɔː.sɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Boss

Questions About Boss

How do you pronounce boss in British English?

In British English, boss is pronounced /bɒs/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [bʷɒs].

How do you pronounce boss in American English?

In American English, boss is pronounced /bɔːs/.

Do British and American English pronounce boss the same way?

No. British English has /bɒs/ and American English has /bɔːs/.

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