bonus
bo·nus/ˈboʊ.nəs/noun, verb
bonus is spelled B-O-N-U-S: 5 letters and 2 syllables (bo·nus). It appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bonus means “Something extra that is good; an added benefit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bonus is bonuses or bonusses; Wiktionary also lists boni (nonstandard).
How many letters and syllables are in bonus?
| Letters | 5: B-O-N-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bo·nus |
| In writing | 28 times per million words; the 3,288th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bonus?
Bonus appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bonus?
- UK /ˈbəʊ.nəs/
- US /ˈboʊ.nəs/
- Australia /ˈbəʉ.nəs/
Bonus has 2 syllables, split bo·nus in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bonus.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-bonus.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bonus?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bonus from its last stressed vowel (/oʊnəs/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: bosun.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bonus
- bonuses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bonusses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bonusing participle, present
- bonussing participle, present
- bonused participle, past
- bonussed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bonus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Something extra that is good; an added benefit.
- 2
An extra sum given as a premium, e.g. to an employee or to a shareholder.
The employee of the week receives a bonus for his excellent work.
- 3
An addition to the player's score based on performance, e.g. for time remaining.
Spend the time killing things and there's a bonus for each hit - but only for fatalities notched up since the start of your current life.
- 4
One or more free throws awarded to a team when the opposing team has accumulated enough fouls.
verb
- 1
To pay a bonus, premium
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bonus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bonus , prime |
| German | Bonus, Dreingabe , Prämie |
| Portuguese | bônus, bónus |
| Spanish | bonificación, plus, ñapa, yapa, llapa, chorrada |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bonus come from?
Borrowed from Latin bonus (“good”). Doublet of bona.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).