How to Pronounce “piñata”

American (US)

/pɪnˈjɑːtə/

British (UK)

/pɪnˈjɑːtə/

noun — A decorated container filled with sweets, broken open with a stick at parties.

Example: The piñata survived four children and gave up on the fifth.

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

piñata (noun): A decorated container filled with sweets, broken open with a stick at parties. For example — The piñata survived four children and gave up on the fifth.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "piñata", /pɪnˈjɑːtə/, 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 "piñata"?

/pɪnˈjɑːtə/ in American English, /pɪnˈjɑːtə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "piñata"?

“piñata” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /pɪnˈjɑːtə/ 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.