How to Pronounce “matcha”

American (US)

/ˈmætʃə/

British (UK)

/ˈmætʃə/

noun — Finely ground green tea powder, whisked with water rather than steeped.

Example: She whisked the matcha until it foamed.

Where the stress falls. “matcha” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈmætʃə/ 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. /ˈmætʃə/ 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 "matcha" mean?

matcha (noun): Finely ground green tea powder, whisked with water rather than steeped. For example — She whisked the matcha until it foamed.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "matcha", /ˈmætʃə/, 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 "matcha"?

/ˈmætʃə/ in American English, /ˈmætʃə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "matcha"?

“matcha” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈmætʃə/ 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.