How to Pronounce “halloumi”

American (US)

/həˈluːmi/

British (UK)

/həˈluːmi/

noun — A firm, salty Cypriot cheese that holds its shape when fried or grilled.

Example: Grilled halloumi squeaked against the fork.

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

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /həˈluːmi/ 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 "halloumi" mean?

halloumi (noun): A firm, salty Cypriot cheese that holds its shape when fried or grilled. For example — Grilled halloumi squeaked against the fork.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "halloumi", /həˈluːmi/, 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 "halloumi"?

/həˈluːmi/ in American English, /həˈluːmi/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "halloumi"?

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