Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bystander

/ˈbaɪˌstænd.ə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.02 in modern English

Syllables: by-stander
IPA: /ˈbaɪˌstænd.ə(ɹ)/

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer, witness, or spectator.

Example Sentences

"If he wins, he will be at liberty, perhaps, to give vent to a laugh, or to pass a remark on the circumstance to a bystander, or to stake again, or to double his stake; but, even this he must do solely out of curiosity, and for the pleasure of watching the play of chances and of calculations, and not because of any vulgar desire to win."
"Conservative influencer Nick Sortor is handcuffed Thursday night by a police officer outside an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, a bystander video shows; the video does not show events leading up to the arrest."

Etymology

From by- + stander. Compare passerby.

Word Breakdown

Prefix: by-

Inflected Forms

bystanders (plural) bye-stander (alternative) by-stander (alternative)

Derived Forms

bystanderish bystandership

Phrases

bystander effect innocent bystander

Frequently Paired Words

rubberneck upstander

Synonyms

onlooker

Questions

How do you pronounce bystander?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbaɪˌstænd.ə(ɹ)/.
What does bystander mean?: A person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer, witness, or spectator.
Where does bystander come from?: From by- + stander. Compare passerby.

How to pronounce bystander

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