Business is the correct spelling in standard English, and buisness is a non-standard misspelling that shows up when the letters get shuffled in fast typing.
The Straight Answer
❌ Incorrect
buisness
Letter-order slip that often swaps the “si” inside business into “is”.
Pronunciation is usually “BIZ-niss”, so the spelling can feel surprising at first glance, especially when you’re reading quickly or typing from sound.
Correct Spelling: Business
Business is spelled b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s. That single internal “si” is the part most people scramble when they type on autopilot.
Correct vs Incorrect In Real Sentences
- ✅ Correct Business is booming this quarter.
- ❌ Incorrect Buisness is booming this quarter.
- ✅ Correct She started a business in retail.
- ❌ Incorrect She started a buisness in retail.
Why ‘Buisness’ Looks Plausible but Is Wrong
The misspelling buisness usually comes from a tiny internal shuffle: the correct “si” in business gets typed as “is” instead.
Letter Pattern Breakdown
- business (✅)
- b u s i n e s s — the “si” stays together.
- buisness (❌)
- b u i s n e s s — “is” lands early, and the real “si” disappears.
It’s also easy to confuse business with other words that contain “ui” (like “build”), so your brain may auto-fill a pattern that doesn’t belong here.
Meaning and Core Uses of Business
Business is flexible: it can mean the activity of buying and selling, a specific company, or even a matter you’re dealing with in life or work. ✅Source
- Commerce: the activity itself (e.g., “She works in business.”).
- A Company: a single organization (e.g., “That business just opened.”).
- Work Matters: tasks tied to work life (e.g., “I’m in town on business.”).
- A Matter: a personal or practical issue (e.g., “That’s none of your business.”).
Countable vs Uncountable depends on meaning: the activity is often uncountable (“in business”), while a specific company is usually countable (“a business”).
Common Forms, Plurals, and Possessives
Once you lock in business, the next confusion is usually endings: plural businesses and possessives like business’s or business’. A lot of people also toss in an extra apostrophe where it doesn’t belong.
| What You Mean | Use This (✅) | Avoid This (❌) | What’s Going On |
|---|---|---|---|
| The concept (commerce/work) | ✅ business | ❌ buisness | Internal letters are out of order in the misspelling. |
| One company | ✅ a business | ❌ a buisness | Same word, just used as a countable noun. |
| More than one company | ✅ businesses | ❌ buisnesses | Words ending in “s” commonly add “es” in the plural. |
| Singular possessive | ✅ business’s or business’ | ❌ business (no apostrophe) | For a singular noun ending in “s”, both patterns show up; consistency matters. |
| Plural possessive | ✅ businesses’ | ❌ businesses’s | Plural ending in “s” typically takes just an apostrophe. |
Pronunciation and Sound-to-Spelling Mismatch
Business is usually spoken like “BIZ-niss”, so people expect a spelling that matches that tight sound. The written form keeps older structure, while everyday speech compresses it into a two-syllable rhythm.
Why The Middle Letters Feel Tricky
The spelling includes “usi” in a row, but the ear mostly catches “biz” + “ness”. That gap is where buisness sneaks in for a lot of writers.
Business vs Busyness
Business and busyness look related because they share “busy” at the core. They’re not interchangeable: one is about commerce/companies, the other is about being busy.
Business (✅)
Business points to trade, a company, or an affair you’re dealing with.
- ✅ We do business with local suppliers.
- ✅ That business is hiring.
Where the Misspelling Usually Appears
The buisness typo shows up most in places where words are typed fast and reviewed late: short notes, filenames, quick messages, and headings. In those contexts, business is easy to “feel” from sound, then mistype in letters.
- Email subjects and short headlines (“New business update”).
- File and folder names that get created on the fly (drafts, exports).
- Forms where you’re typing while thinking (applications, profiles).
- Headers in documents where the eye skips details (business vs buisness can blend).
If you ever see a spelling that looks intentionally different in a product name or brand styling, treat it as a proper name choice. In general writing, business remains the standard form.
FAQ
Common Questions People Ask
Is “buisness” ever correct?
❌ Incorrect In standard English spelling, buisness is treated as a misspelling. The accepted form is business.
What about “bussiness” with double “s”?
❌ Incorrect bussiness is another non-standard spelling. Standard writing uses business with one “s” after the “u”.
What’s the plural of “business”?
✅ Correct The plural is businesses. It adds “es” because the base word ends with an “s”.
How do I write the possessive of “business”?
✅ Correct For a singular noun ending in “s”, you’ll see business’s and also business’ in different style traditions. Pick one house style and keep it consistent throughout a document.
Is “business” countable or uncountable?
Business can be both. As an activity, it’s often uncountable (“in business”). As a company, it’s countable (“a business”).
How is “business” usually pronounced?
✅ Correct Most speakers say something close to “BIZ-niss”. That sound is exactly why the spelling trips people up.