How to pronounce chili
Say it like CHIL-ee. Chili has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHIL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce chili. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHIL
- ee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Chili pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHILSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of chili
American and British speakers say chili in essentially the same way: /ˈtʃɪli/ in the US and /ˈtʃɪli/ in the UK.
British respelling: CHIL-ee.
What does chili mean?
- ground beef and chili peppers or chili powder often with tomatoes and kidney beans
- very hot and finely tapering pepper of special pungency
Where does chili come from?
Borrowed from Spanish chile, from Classical Nahuatl chīlli.
Words that rhyme with chili
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of chili.
Words that sound like chili
Questions about saying chili
How do you pronounce chili?
Say CHIL-ee. The American pronunciation is /ˈtʃɪli/. In British English it is /ˈtʃɪli/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in chili?
Chili has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (CHIL). Broken into parts: CHIL · ee.
Do Americans and Brits say chili the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtʃɪli/ and the British form is /ˈtʃɪli/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as chili?
Chili sounds the same as chile, chilly in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.