How to pronounce ballet
Say it like ba-LAY. Ballet has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ballet. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ba
- LAY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: Americans stress the end ('ba-LAY'); Britons stress the start ('BAL-ay'). The t is silent either way.
Ballet pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- baKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- LAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of ballet
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 2, while British speakers stress syllable 1.
British respelling: BAL-ay.
What does ballet mean?
- a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers
- music written for a ballet
Where does ballet come from?
Borrowed from French ballet, from Italian balletto (“short dance, ballet”), diminutive form of ballo (“group dance”) (cognate with Old French bal, whence English ball), from Late Latin ballō (“to dance”).
Words that rhyme with ballet
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ballet.
Questions about saying ballet
How do you pronounce ballet?
Say ba-LAY. The American pronunciation is /bæˈleɪ/. In British English it is /ˈbæleɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ballet?
Ballet has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAY). Broken into parts: ba · LAY.
Is ballet pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 2, while British speakers stress syllable 1. The British form is /ˈbæleɪ/ (BAL-ay).