The word "biau" is often misspelled because of its unusual combination of letters. Its correct spelling should be "beau," pronounced as "boʊ." The IPA phonetic transcription shows the pronunciation of each sound in the word. The "b" is pronounced as [b], the "e" as [oʊ], and the "au" as [boʊ]. "Beau" is a French word meaning handsome, and is typically used to describe a man who is attractive, stylish, and sophisticated.