How to pronounce barbacoa
Say it like bar-buh-KOH-uh. Barbacoa has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (KOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce barbacoa. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bar
- buh
- KOH
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Barbacoa pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- barGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- buhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- KOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of barbacoa
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: bah-buh-KOH-uh.
What does barbacoa mean?
- Meat slow-cooked over an open fire, characteristic of Latin American cuisine.
Where does barbacoa come from?
Borrowed from Spanish barbacoa (whence also barbecue), from Taíno barbakoa (“framework of sticks”), the raised wooden structure the natives used to either sleep on or cure meat.
Words that rhyme with barbacoa
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of barbacoa.
Questions about saying barbacoa
How do you pronounce barbacoa?
Say bar-buh-KOH-uh. The American pronunciation is /ˌbɑrbəˈkoʊə/. In British English it is /ˌbɑːbəˈkəʊə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in barbacoa?
Barbacoa has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (KOH). Broken into parts: bar · buh · KOH · uh.
Is barbacoa pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˌbɑːbəˈkəʊə/ (bah-buh-KOH-uh).