Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

decibel

/ˈdɛsɪbɛl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.55 in modern English

Syllables
deci-bel
IPA
/ˈdɛsɪbɛl/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A common measure of intensity ratio (e.g. for sound) that is one tenth of a bel on the logarithmic intensity scale. It is defined as dB = 10 log₁₀(P₁ / P₂), where P₁ and P₂ are the relative intensities.

Etymology

From deci- + bel.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈdɛsɪbɛl/

Inflected Forms

decibels (plural) dB (alternative)

Derived Forms

megadecibel subdecibel

Synonyms

db

Questions

How do you pronounce decibel?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɛsɪbɛl/.
What does decibel mean?
A common measure of intensity ratio (e.g. for sound) that is one tenth of a bel on the logarithmic intensity scale. It is defined as dB = 10 log₁₀(P₁ / P₂), where P₁ and P₂ are the relative intensities.
Where does decibel come from?
From deci- + bel.

How to pronounce decibel

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