How to pronounce la
Say it like LAH. La 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 la. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- LAH
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
La pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LAHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of la
American and British speakers say la in essentially the same way: /lɑ/ in the US and /lɑː/ in the UK.
British respelling: LAH.
What does la mean?
- a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
- a state in southern United States on the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
- the syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization
Where does la come from?
From Glover's solmization, from Middle English la (“sixth degree or note of Guido of Arezzo's hexachordal scales”), Italian la in the solmization of Guido of Arezzo, from the first syllable of Latin labiī (“lip's”) in the lyrics of the scal
Words that rhyme with la
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of la.
Words that sound like la
Questions about saying la
How do you pronounce la?
Say LAH. The American pronunciation is /lɑ/. In British English it is /lɑː/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in la?
La is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAH.
Do Americans and Brits say la the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /lɑ/ and the British form is /lɑː/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as la?
La sounds the same as lah, law in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.