Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

challah

/ˈxɑ(ː).lə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.05 in modern English

Syllables: chal-lah
IPA: /ˈxɑ(ː).lə/

15

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.

Countable

noun

The commandment to separate a portion of bread or bread dough for the cohanim (Numbers 15:17–21); in contemporary practice, the portion is burned until inedible.

Uncountable

noun

The portion separated in fulfillment of the above.

Countable

Example Sentences

"[…]it is a time-honored custom that when women bake challah-loaves for Sabbath and Yom Tov use, they specifically prepare a dough large enough to be obligated in challah, so they can fulfill the mitzvah of separating challah[…]."
"Posting photos of his Shabbat candles and challah on Friday night, [Mark] Zuckerberg said that he would be giving the ceremonial cup to his eldest daughter, Maxima."

Etymology

From Hebrew חַלָּה (ḥallá, “loaf”), influenced by Yiddish חלה (khale).

Origin

Source language: Hebrew

Word Breakdown

Root: חַלָּה, חלה

Usage

Inflected Forms

challahs (plural) challos (plural) challot (plural) challoth (plural) halla (alternative) challa (alternative) chalah (alternative) hallah (alternative) chaleh (alternative)

Phrases

hafrashat challah

Synonyms

hallah

Rhymes With

gala impala koala kamala valhalla masala uppsala pala sinhala tala tikka masala wallah

Questions

How do you pronounce challah?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈxɑ(ː).lə/.
What does challah mean?: A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
Where does challah come from?: It is traced to Hebrew.

How to pronounce challah

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