How to Pronounce “paella”

American (US)

/pɑːˈelə/

British (UK)

/paɪˈelə/

noun — A Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide shallow pan with saffron, meat or seafood.

Example: The paella fed the whole family from one pan.

A loanword from Spanish. Spanish ll is the y sound, so the dish is “pah-EH-yah”. The double l is one sound, not a long l.

Where the stress falls. “paella” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /pɑːˈelə/ 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. /pɑːˈelə/ 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 "paella" mean?

paella (noun): A Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide shallow pan with saffron, meat or seafood. For example — The paella fed the whole family from one pan.

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

American English: /pɑːˈelə/. British English: /paɪˈelə/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "paella"?

/pɑːˈelə/ in American English, /paɪˈelə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "paella"?

“paella” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /pɑːˈelə/ 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.

• Food Words That Are Hard to Pronounce
• Spanish loanwords