English pronunciation · Words Starting with B
Backbiting Pronunciation
Backbiting is pronounced BAK-by-ting, IPA /ˈbækˌbaɪtɪŋ/.
BAK-by-ting
US /ˈbækˌbaɪtɪŋ/ · UK /ˈbækbɪtɪŋ/
Syllables: BAK · by · ting (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
noun: Spiteful talk about someone who is not there.
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Backbiting in a Sentence
- The committee ran on backbiting and little else.
- There was a lot of backbiting after the restructure.
- She has no patience for backbiting.
Common Mispronunciations of Backbiting
Not bak-BY-ting
Compounds like this take the beat on the first part: BAK-by-ting. Stressing the middle makes it sound like two separate words.
Not BAK-bi-ting
American English keeps the long eye of bite in the middle. British dictionaries also list a shortened bi, so both are defensible.
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