Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

balsa

/ˈbɑlsə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.48 in modern English

Syllables
bal-sa
IPA
/ˈbɑlsə/
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A large tree, Ochroma pyramidale, native to tropical America, with wood that is very light in weight.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The wood of this tree.

Uncountable

noun

A raft or float, used principally on the Pacific coast of South America.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

Etymology tree Paleo-Hispanicder. Spanish balsabor. English balsa Borrowed from Spanish balsa, from Paleo-Hispanic, probably Basque [Term?] or Iberian [Term?]. Not related to balsam.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈbɑlsə/
  • British English: /ˈbɔːl.sə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

balsas (plural)

Derived Forms

balsawood

Synonyms

ochroma lagopus balsa wood

Rhymes With

salsa

Questions

How do you pronounce balsa?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɑlsə/.
What does balsa mean?
A large tree, Ochroma pyramidale, native to tropical America, with wood that is very light in weight.
Where does balsa come from?
It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce balsa

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “balsa”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɑlsə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “balsa”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “balsa” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.