How to pronounce “cebolla”
Hear how “cebolla (onion)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
cebollaseh-BOH-yah (Latin America) · theh-BOH-yah (Spain)
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | onion |
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| Syllables | ce · bo · lla (3) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a vowel, n or s stress the second-to-last syllable: BO. |
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| IPA (Latin America) | /se.ˈbo.ʝa/ |
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| IPA (Spain) | /θe.ˈbo.ʝa/ |
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Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: The ll is a Y sound: "seh-BOH-yah".
- ll sounds like the y in "yes" in most countries. In Argentina and Uruguay you'll hear "sh".
- c before e or i sounds like s in Latin America and like the "th" in "think" in most of Spain.
- Keep every vowel short and pure: a = "ah", e = "eh", i = "ee", o = "oh", u = "oo". No gliding.
Learn more: LL and Y · Spain vs. Latin America · Stress and accent marks
Example sentences
Corta la cebolla en trozos.Cut the onion into pieces.
La cebolla me hace llorar.Onions make me cry.
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