Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

johannesburg

/d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.67 in modern English

Syllables: jo-han-nes-burg
IPA: /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/

25

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The largest city in South Africa, provincial capital of the province of Gauteng.

name

A census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States.

name

An unincorporated community in Otsego County, Michigan, United States.

Example Sentences

"The P39-1 is an anonymous stretch of thinly tarred highway connecting the small towns of Newcastle and Normandien in South Africa, a four-hour drive from Johannesburg."
"In August 2025, during a media conference at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on the outcomes of the ANC’s recent National Executive Committee meeting, Fikile Mbalula, Secretary General of the ANC, lashed out at white South Africans and Afrikaner refugees to the US."

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch Johannesburg. By surface analysis, Johannes + -burg.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/
British English: /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/

Derived Forms

Joburg Johannesburger

Synonyms

eGoli Joburg

Questions

How do you pronounce johannesburg?: The recorded pronunciation is /d͡ʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/.
What does johannesburg mean?: The largest city in South Africa, provincial capital of the province of Gauteng.
Where does johannesburg come from?: Borrowed from Dutch Johannesburg. By surface analysis, Johannes + -burg.

How to pronounce johannesburg

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