Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bit by bit

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.06 in modern English

Syllables: bit by bit
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

A small amount at a time.

Example Sentences

"There’s a sick comfort in reciting this litany of defects. Maybe I sensed them at the time but I never put them into words. Now that I suspect he’s a cunt, however, I’m hauling them out and examining them in the pitiless light of day. This happens at the end of every relationship, I’ve found, but in this particular case I have an even more urgent need to destroy my lover’s loveableness, bit by bit, until it’s entirely gone."
"Storm Charlie had raged throught [sic] the night and was unleashing further gusts on the morning that RAIL was due to inspect a vegetation management project in Kent. Bit by bit, the train timetable unravelled. A trip beginning at Bradford-on-Avon belatedly reached Bath, but that turned out to be journey's end."
"Because language is produced and processed over time, we get it bit by bit."

Etymology

From bit + by + bit. Compare West Frisian bytsje by bytsje (“bit by bit”), Dutch beetje bij beetje (“bit by bit”).

Synonyms

little by little incrementally step by step stepwise footmeal gradatim piece by piece gradually

Questions

What does bit by bit mean?: A small amount at a time.
Where does bit by bit come from?: From bit + by + bit. Compare West Frisian bytsje by bytsje (“bit by bit”), Dutch beetje bij beetje (“bit by bit”).

How to pronounce bit by bit

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