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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

better

/ˈbɛtɚ/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does better mean?

adjective

  1. comparative degree of good and well
  2. Greater in amount or quantity
  3. Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
More meanings (9)

adjective

  1. Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.

adverb

  1. comparative form of well: more well

noun

  1. An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.
  2. Alternative spelling of bettor.

verb

  1. Had better.
  2. To improve.
  3. To become better; to improve.
  4. To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel; to improve on.
  5. To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈbɛtɚ/

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

“I think you might do something better with the time,” she said, “than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.”
Lewis CarrollAlice's Adventures in WonderlandProject Gutenberg ebook #11
I seldom had much to say at the meetings, because what I wanted to say was said so much better by others.
Frederick DouglassNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American SlaveProject Gutenberg ebook #23
More book examples (3)
This was a good opportunity to see the country, too, and the more I saw of it, the better I liked it.
Charlotte Perkins GilmanHerlandProject Gutenberg ebook #32
It was better to stand thus, with so many betwixt him and her, than to greet him face to face—they two alone.
Nathaniel HawthorneThe Scarlet LetterProject Gutenberg ebook #33
Instead of feeling proud that he knew her better than all these people about him, he felt chagrined at his own ingenuousness.
Willa CatherThe Song of the LarkProject Gutenberg ebook #44