Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tikka masala

/ˌtiːkə məˈsɑːlə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.37 in modern English

Syllables
tikka -masala
IPA
/ˌtiːkə məˈsɑːlə/
21
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of a style of Indian dish in which the main ingredient (such as chicken) is marinated, usually (but not necessarily) cooked in a tandoor and served in a masala sauce.

noun

A dish prepared in this manner.

Etymology

First attested in the 1970s. Borrowed from Hindi टिक्का मसाला (ṭikkā masālā, “spicy pieces”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: टिक्का मसाला

Inflected Forms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce tikka masala?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌtiːkə məˈsɑːlə/.
What does tikka masala mean?
Of a style of Indian dish in which the main ingredient (such as chicken) is marinated, usually (but not necessarily) cooked in a tandoor and served in a masala sauce.
Where does tikka masala come from?
It is traced to Hindi. First known use: First attested in the 1970s.

How to pronounce tikka masala

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tikka masala”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌtiːkə məˈsɑːlə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tikka masala” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.