How to pronounce potato
Say it like puh-TAY-toh. Potato has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce potato. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- TAY
- toh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Potato pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- TAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- tohGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of potato
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: puh-TAY-toh.
What does potato mean?
- an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
- annual native to South America having underground stolons bearing edible starchy tubers; widely cultivated as a garden vegetable; vines are poisonous
Where does potato come from?
Borrowed from Spanish patata, itself borrowed from Taíno batata (“sweet potato”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with potato
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of potato.
Questions about saying potato
How do you pronounce potato?
Say puh-TAY-toh. The American pronunciation is /pəˈteɪˌtoʊ/. In British English it is /pəˈteɪˌtəʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in potato?
Potato has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TAY). Broken into parts: puh · TAY · toh.
Is potato 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 /pəˈteɪˌtəʊ/ (puh-TAY-toh).