English pronunciation

How to pronounce “became

Phonetic spelling

bi-KAYM

IPA /biˈkeɪm/

Syllable stress

bi·kaym

Stress falls on the highlighted syllable.

How do you spell “became”?

b e c a m e

became” is spelled B-E-C-A-M-E. It is pronounced bi-KAYM, so the spelling and the sound do not match letter for letter. Listen to the audio above and say it aloud while you read the letters.

Hear it in a sentence

  • She became a doctor after years of study.

  • He became very quiet when he heard the news.

Related words to practice