Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

busboy

/ˈbʌsˌbɔɪ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.03 in modern English

Syllables: bus-boy
IPA: /ˈbʌsˌbɔɪ/

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An assistant waiter; one who clears plates from and cleans tables.

American usage

Example Sentences

"Katara might be able to pull it off, but you two would be lucky to pass as busboys."

Etymology

Clipping of omnibus (“assistant waiter”) + boy.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

busboys (plural)

Derived Forms

bus busser

Phrases

bussing station

Frequently Paired Words

barback runner busgirl

Synonyms

busser omnibus

Questions

How do you pronounce busboy?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbʌsˌbɔɪ/.
What does busboy mean?: An assistant waiter; one who clears plates from and cleans tables.
Where does busboy come from?: Clipping of omnibus (“assistant waiter”) + boy.

How to pronounce busboy

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