How to pronounce falafel
Say it like fuh-LAH-ful. Falafel has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAH).
- fuh
- LAH
- ful
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Falafel pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- fuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- LAHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- fulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of falafel
American and British speakers say falafel in essentially the same way: /fəˈlɑfəl/ in the US and /fəˈlɑːfəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: fuh-LAH-ful.
What does falafel mean?
- A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.“There's a stall at the market that sells fantastic falafel.”
- A pita with falafel balls as a filling.
- A single falafel ball.“The stallholder puts salad into an open pita bread, followed by the four falafels, and then liberally covers them with hummus.”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- felafel
Words that rhyme with falafel
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of falafel.
Questions about saying falafel
How do you pronounce falafel?
Say fuh-LAH-ful. The American pronunciation is /fəˈlɑfəl/. In British English it is /fəˈlɑːfəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in falafel?
Falafel has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAH). Broken into parts: fuh · LAH · ful.
Do Americans and Brits say falafel the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /fəˈlɑfəl/ and the British form is /fəˈlɑːfəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.