How to Pronounce “carbonara”

American (US)

/ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/

British (UK)

/ˌkɑːbəˈnɑːɹə/

noun — A thick Italian pasta sauce, made with guanciale, grated cheese, beaten egg yolks and pepper.

Where the stress falls. “carbonara” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/ 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 "carbonara" mean?

carbonara (noun): A thick Italian pasta sauce, made with guanciale, grated cheese, beaten egg yolks and pepper.

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

American English: /ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/. British English: /ˌkɑːbəˈnɑːɹə/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "carbonara"?

/ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/ in American English, /ˌkɑːbəˈnɑːɹə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "carbonara"?

“carbonara” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌkɑɹbəˈnɑɹə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.