How to pronounce tilapia
Say it like tuh-LAH-pee-uh. Tilapia has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tilapia. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- tuh
- LAH
- pee
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tilapia pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- tuhKeep 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.
- peeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of tilapia
American and British speakers say tilapia in essentially the same way: /təˈlɑpiə/ in the US and /tɪˈlɑːpiə/ in the UK.
British respelling: tih-LAH-pee-uh.
What does tilapia mean?
- Any of various edible fish, formerly species of the genus Tilapia, but now placed in other cichlid genera (such as Oreochromis), native to Africa and the Middle East but cultivated worldwide.
- A fishy (resembling a cisgender woman) drag queen; a drag queen who could pass for a woman, as opposed to one who is exaggeratedly feminine.
Where does tilapia come from?
The drag race slang usage is a reference to the comment by Gia Gunn on entering Ru Paul's Drag Race (season 6) "Just landed like fresh tilapia".
Questions about saying tilapia
How do you pronounce tilapia?
Say tuh-LAH-pee-uh. The American pronunciation is /təˈlɑpiə/. In British English it is /tɪˈlɑːpiə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tilapia?
Tilapia has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (LAH). Broken into parts: tuh · LAH · pee · uh.
Do Americans and Brits say tilapia the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /təˈlɑpiə/ and the British form is /tɪˈlɑːpiə/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.