How to pronounce ciao
Say it like CHOW. Ciao is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ciao. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- CHOW
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ciao pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- CHOWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of ciao
American and British speakers say ciao in essentially the same way: /tʃaʊ/ in the US and /tʃaʊ/ in the UK.
British respelling: CHOW.
What does ciao mean?
- Hello, hi.
- Bye, goodbye.
- A greeting or farewell using the word "ciao".
Where does ciao come from?
Borrowed from Italian ciao (“hello, goodbye”), from Venetan ciao (“hello, goodbye, your (humble) servant”), from Venetan s-ciao / s-ciavo (“servant, slave”), from Medieval Latin sclavus (“Slav, slave”), related also to Italian schiavo, Engl
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with ciao
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ciao.
Words that sound like ciao
Questions about saying ciao
How do you pronounce ciao?
Say CHOW. The American pronunciation is /tʃaʊ/. In British English it is /tʃaʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ciao?
Ciao is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: CHOW.
Do Americans and Brits say ciao the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tʃaʊ/ and the British form is /tʃaʊ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as ciao?
Ciao sounds the same as chow in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.