How to Pronounce “wasabi”

American (US)

/wəˈsɑːbi/

British (UK)

/wəˈsɑːbi/

noun — A plant of the species Eutrema japonicum, cultivated for its edible root.

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

wasabi (noun): A plant of the species Eutrema japonicum, cultivated for its edible root.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "wasabi", /wəˈsɑːbi/, 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 "wasabi"?

/wəˈsɑːbi/ in American English, /wəˈsɑːbi/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "wasabi"?

“wasabi” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /wəˈsɑːbi/ 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.