How to Pronounce “tortilla”

American (US)

/tɔːrˈtiːjə/

British (UK)

/tɔːˈtiːjə/

noun — A thin flatbread of corn or wheat, or, in Spain, a thick potato omelette.

Example: He warmed the tortillas in a dry pan.

A loanword from Spanish. A double l in Spanish is the y sound, not an English /l/. The word is “tor-TEE-yah”.

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

tortilla (noun): A thin flatbread of corn or wheat, or, in Spain, a thick potato omelette. For example — He warmed the tortillas in a dry pan.

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

American English: /tɔːrˈtiːjə/. British English: /tɔːˈtiːjə/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "tortilla"?

/tɔːrˈtiːjə/ in American English, /tɔːˈtiːjə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "tortilla"?

“tortilla” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /tɔːrˈtiːjə/ 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.

• Spanish loanwords