How to Pronounce “vanilla”

American (US)

/vəˈnɪl.ə/

British (UK)

/vəˈnɪl.ə/

noun — A flavouring from the cured pods of a tropical orchid.

Example: Real vanilla costs many times more than the synthetic version.

Where the stress falls. “vanilla” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /vəˈnɪl.ə/ 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. /vəˈnɪl.ə/ 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 "vanilla" mean?

vanilla (noun): A flavouring from the cured pods of a tropical orchid. For example — Real vanilla costs many times more than the synthetic version.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "vanilla", /vəˈnɪl.ə/, 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 "vanilla"?

/vəˈnɪl.ə/ in American English, /vəˈnɪl.ə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "vanilla"?

“vanilla” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /vəˈnɪl.ə/ 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.