How to Pronounce “baklava”

American (US)

/ˈbæk.lə.və/

British (UK)

/ˈbæk.lə.və/

noun — A sweet pastry found in many cuisines of the Middle East and the Balkans, made of chopped nuts layered with phyllo pastry.

Where the stress falls. “baklava” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈbæk.lə.və/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈbæk.lə.və/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "baklava" mean?

baklava (noun): A sweet pastry found in many cuisines of the Middle East and the Balkans, made of chopped nuts layered with phyllo pastry.

How do you pronounce "baklava" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "baklava", /ˈbæk.lə.və/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "baklava"?

/ˈbæk.lə.və/ in American English, /ˈbæk.lə.və/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "baklava"?

“baklava” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈbæk.lə.və/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.