How to pronounce mambo
Say it like MAHM-boh. Mambo has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAHM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mambo. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAHM
- boh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mambo pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MAHMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- bohKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of mambo
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: MAM-boh.
What does mambo mean?
- A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
- A Latin-American musical genre, adapted from rumba, originating from Cuba in the 1940s, or a dance or rhythm of this genre.
- To perform this dance.
Where does mambo come from?
From Haitian Creole manbo (“voodoo priestess”) (ultimately from Yoruba mambo (“to talk”)), in later senses via Cuban Spanish mambo (“dance”).
Words that rhyme with mambo
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mambo.
Questions about saying mambo
How do you pronounce mambo?
Say MAHM-boh. The American pronunciation is /ˈmɑmboʊ/. In British English it is /ˈmæmbəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mambo?
Mambo has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAHM). Broken into parts: MAHM · boh.
Is mambo pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /ˈmæmbəʊ/ (MAM-boh).