bypass
by·pass/ˈbaɪpæs/noun, verb
bypass is spelled B-Y-P-A-S-S: 6 letters and 2 syllables (by·pass). It appears 5.8 times per million words in written English, the 10,196th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bypass means “A road that passes around something, such as a residential area or business district” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bypass is bypasses.
How many letters and syllables are in bypass?
| Letters | 6: B-Y-P-A-S-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: by·pass |
| In writing | 5.8 times per million words; the 10,196th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is bypass?
Bypass appears 5.8 times per million words in written English, the 10,196th 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 bypass?
- US /ˈbaɪpæs/
- UK /ˈbaɪpɑːs/
Bypass has 2 syllables, split by·pass in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bypass.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bypass
- bypasses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- by-pass
- bypassing participle, present
- bypassed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bypass mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A road that passes around something, such as a residential area or business district.
- 2
A replacement road for obsolete road that is no longer in use because devastating natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides).
- 3
The act of going past or around.
- 4
A section of pipe that conducts a fluid around some other fixture.
- 5
An electrical shunt.
- 6
An alternative passage created to divert a bodily fluid around a damaged organ; the surgical procedure to construct such a bypass.
verb
- 1
To avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass.
- 2
To ignore the usual channels or procedures.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate bypass?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of bypass: BYP, byp..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bypass in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | déviation, contournement, rocade , pontage, dérivation , contourner |
| German | Umgehungsstraße , Bypass , umgehen, ausweichen , Umgehung |
| Portuguese | desvio, contorno , ponte, bypass , contornar |
| Spanish | variante, libramiento , baipasear , puenteo, baipás, bypass |
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 bypass come from?
From Middle English *bypassen, *bipassen (suggested by past participle by-past, bipast), equivalent to by- + pass.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).