Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

minibus

/ˈmɪ.ni.bəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.75 in modern English

Syllables: minibus
IPA: /ˈmɪ.ni.bəs/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small bus, especially one used as transport for small groups.

noun

A sixteen-seater vehicle used as a taxi.

noun

A small four-wheeled carriage.

noun

A combined spending bill for multiple departments that is smaller than an omnibus bill.

American usage

Example Sentences

"Just south of Durness, at Keoldale, is a passenger-ferry across the Kyle of Durness. It links up during the summer months with a minibus service to the lonely Cape Wrath lighthouse, built of granite in 1827 on a headland 400 ft above the sea."
"Police are still searching for the gunmen who hijacked the minibus carrying school pupils taking two of the children with them."
"The minibus is the first of two funding packages the House hopes to pass this month."

Etymology

From mini- + bus. In the political sense, probably a back-formation from omnibus.

Word Breakdown

Prefix: mini

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmɪ.ni.bəs/

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

minibuses (plural) minibusses (plural)

Derived Forms

midibus

Frequently Paired Words

minivan

Synonyms

jitney kombi

Questions

How do you pronounce minibus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmɪ.ni.bəs/.
What does minibus mean?: A small bus, especially one used as transport for small groups.
Where does minibus come from?: From mini- + bus. In the political sense, probably a back-formation from omnibus.

How to pronounce minibus

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