Build

How to spell build

5 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce build

What does build mean?

1. verbTo construct something by putting parts or materials together.
2. nounThe general shape and size of a person's body.

Build in a sentence

• verb

  The company plans to build a new warehouse near the motorway.

• noun

  The witness described the suspect as having a slim build and dark hair.

• verb

  They hope to build a stronger relationship with their suppliers.

• noun

  His muscular build made him well suited to rowing.

Where does build come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word comes from the Old English verb byldan, meaning 'to construct a house or dwelling'. That verb was formed from the noun bold, an Old English word for a house or fixed residence, so the original idea was very literally 'to make a home'. It belongs to the native Germanic layer of English rather than the later Latin or French borrowings, which is part of why its spelling is so irregular. The puzzling 'ui' in the middle is the real trap: the word is pronounced 'bild', yet that silent 'u' crept into the spelling during the medieval period and never left. Over the centuries the meaning broadened from raising houses to constructing anything at all, from bridges and businesses to arguments and reputations.

How the word is built

• build (from Old English byldan: to construct a dwelling)

Words that sound like build

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• billed: Past tense of bill: to have sent someone a demand for payment for goods or services.