2 syllables: e, book. Stress on e.
EE-buuk
/ˈiː.bʊk/
ebook is pronounced EE-buuk (/ˈiː.bʊk/). It has two syllables (e-book), with the stress on "e". An electronic publication available in digital format, typically readable on screens and carried on devices. The term combines 'electronic' and 'book' and is used to describe digital books, magazines, or reports. In common usage, it denotes a convenient, portable form of reading material that can be downloaded, stored, and accessed offline or online.
An electronic publication available in digital format, typically readable on screens and carried on devices. The term combines 'electronic' and 'book' and is used to describe digital books, magazines, or reports. In common usage, it denotes a convenient, portable form of reading material that can be downloaded, stored, and accessed offline or online.
"I bought an ebook of the novel for my tablet."
"The library now offers ebooks that you can borrow digitally."
"She prefers ebooks to printed copies for travel."
Say it as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈiːˌbʊk/ (US/UK/AU). Start with a long E as in 'see,' then quickly move to a short /bʊ/ as in 'book,' ending with /k/. Keep the /iː/ steady before the onset of /b/. A light preceding pause is not needed between syllables in fluent speech. You can listen to native usage on Forvo or YouGlish for natural variants.
Common mistakes include tacking on extra syllables: /ˈiːbɒk/ or /ˈiːəˌbʊk/. Another error is delaying the stop, producing /ˈiː.buːk/ with an unnecessary vowel. To correct: keep the /ˈiː/ as a tight first syllable, then directly transition to /bʊk/ with a crisp, unreleased /k/ at the end. Practice minimal pairs like /iː/ + /bʊk/ to reinforce the two-syllable rhythm without adding vowels.
In US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation remains /ˈiːˌbʊk/ with primary stress on the first syllable and a clear /bʊk/ second syllable; rhoticity differences affect only vowel coloration in connected speech, not the core phonemes. US and AU often feature a slightly more rounded /ʊ/; UK tends to a shorter, closer /ʊ/. Vowel length isn’t contrastive here; focus on a crisp /b/ onset and the final /k/ release. Overall, the word is largely rhotic-agnostic for pronunciation.
The challenge is producing a clean onset /eɪ/ to /iː/ quality transition within a short slot and avoiding insertion of a schwa. The /ˈiː/ is longer and tense, while /bʊk/ demands a quick, light bilabial stop followed by a velar /k/. Some speakers insert an extra vowel between syllables or elongate the second syllable. Focusing on a tight cuff between /iː/ and /b/ helps. Use a quick, clipped second syllable with a definitive /k/ release.
In careful speech or rapid conversation, you may hear a reduced second syllable as /ˈiːbək/ or even /ˈiːbk/ in very casual contexts, but this is nonstandard. The canonical form keeps the two-syllable pattern /ˈiːˌbʊk/. If you hear /ˈiːbʊk/ without a distinct secondary stress, it’s a natural elision; maintain perceptible /b/ and /k/ to preserve intelligibility.
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The word ebook is a portmanteau of electronic and book. Its first element, electronic, traces to the early 20th century, with the root electronic from Greek elektron ‘amber’ via Modern Latin, referencing electricity and electronic devices. The second element, book, is from Old English boc, related to German Buch, with Germanic roots in proto-Germanic *bokiz. The term ebook emerged in the 1980s–1990s alongside digital reading interfaces and e-readers, but the modern, market-ready sense solidified in the early 2000s as portable devices and downloadable formats (EPUB, PDF, MOBI) became ubiquitous. It denotes both the file format and the medium for consumption, emphasizing accessibility, portability, and digital rights. Over time, ebooks expanded from plain text to richly formatted editions with images, hyperlinks, and interactive features, reflecting evolving publishing technologies and consumer expectations around instant access and device compatibility.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "ebook" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "ebook" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "ebook"
-ook sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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