Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bumblebee

/ˈbʌmbəlˌbiː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.92 in modern English

Syllables: bum-ble-bee
IPA: /ˈbʌmbəlˌbiː/

17

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of several species of large bee in the genus Bombus.

noun

A mid yellow, sometimes slightly orange.

noun

A layered drink with ice whose main ingredients are orange juice and espresso coffee.

Example Sentences

"The bumblebee's mane glowed in the morning light—each hair sharp and distinct to Eragon—and its blurred wings generated a gentle bombilation, like a tattoo played on a drum. Pollen powdered the bristles on its legs."

Etymology

1520s from bumble + bee, replacing Middle English humbul-be. Merged with Middle English bombeln (“to boom, buzz”), in the late 14th century. The name of the drink is a semantic loan from Ukrainian джміль (džmilʹ).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: humbul-be, bombeln

Inflected Forms

bumblebees (plural) bumble-bee (alternative) bumble bee (alternative)

Phrases

American bumblebee buff-tailed bumblebee bumblebee bat bumblebee catfish bumblebee model bumblebee moth common eastern bumblebee cuckoo-bumblebee

Synonyms

dumbledore humblebee

Questions

How do you pronounce bumblebee?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbʌmbəlˌbiː/.
What does bumblebee mean?: Any of several species of large bee in the genus Bombus.
Where does bumblebee come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce bumblebee

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bumblebee”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbʌmbəlˌbiː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bumblebee”.
Repeat and practice — Say “bumblebee” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.