Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

boba

/ˈboʊ.bə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.88 in modern English

Syllables: bo-ba
IPA: /ˈboʊ.bə/

8

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of tapioca pearl.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Ellipsis of boba tea.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A breast, especially that of an adult or adolescent female human.

Colloquial; Countable; Slang; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"She settled on the Chai Frappé Burst, a frozen, blended concoction with whipped cream, boba and cinnamon sugar sprinkles."
"“I was shocked,” said Leanne Yuen, a longtime boba drinker and a student at the University of California, Irvine. “What am I going to do now?”"

Etymology

From Chinese 波霸 (bōbà), from Cantonese 波霸 (bo1 baa3, “tapioca pearls” [literally: “big balls]”), from 波 (bo1) (itself from English ball) and 霸 (baa3, “chief, top”).

Origin

Source language: Chinese

Word Breakdown

Root: 波霸, ball

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈboʊ.bə/
British English: /ˈbəʊ.bə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

bobas (plural)

Derived Forms

bobarista

Phrases

boba liberal

Frequently Paired Words

boba liberal

Synonyms

tapioca pearl breasts

Questions

How do you pronounce boba?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈboʊ.bə/.
What does boba mean?: Synonym of tapioca pearl.
Where does boba come from?: It is traced to Chinese.

How to pronounce boba

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