How to pronounce “paella”
Hear how “paella (Spanish rice dish)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | Spanish rice dish |
|---|
| Syllables | pa · e · lla (3) |
|---|
| Stress | Words ending in a vowel, n or s stress the second-to-last syllable: E. |
|---|
| IPA | /pa.ˈe.ʝa/ |
|---|
Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: The ll sounds like a soft y: pah-EH-yah, not "pie-ella".
- ll sounds like the y in "yes" in most countries. In Argentina and Uruguay you'll hear "sh".
- Keep every vowel short and pure: a = "ah", e = "eh", i = "ee", o = "oh", u = "oo". No gliding.
Learn more: LL and Y · Stress and accent marks · Spanish vowels
Example sentences
Vamos a comer paella.Let's eat paella.
La paella es de Valencia.Paella comes from Valencia.
More words
Pronounce any other Spanish word →