Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

vuvuzela

/vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.94 in modern English

Syllables: vu-vuzela
IPA: /vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/

23

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A trumpet-shaped horn, now usually plastic, that produces a loud buzzing sound.

Example Sentences

"When the Manchester United squad walked through the arrival gates at Durban International yesterday, most players heard a vuvuzela for the first time."
"I’m talking, of course, about the vuvuzela. Essentially, a metre-long blowhorn, which you may struggle to get past a steward at an English football ground."
"For some, the vuvuzelas herald the country’s piercing emergence from the forced racial hush of apartheid."

Etymology

Borrowed from Zulu vuvuzela (“to make a vu vu noise”), from the /vuː/ sound the horns make.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/
British English: /vuːvuːˈzɛlə/

Inflected Forms

vuvuzelas (plural)

Derived Forms

vuvuzelist

Synonyms

stadium horn stadium trumpet

Questions

How do you pronounce vuvuzela?: The recorded pronunciation is /vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/.
What does vuvuzela mean?: A trumpet-shaped horn, now usually plastic, that produces a loud buzzing sound.
Where does vuvuzela come from?: Borrowed from Zulu vuvuzela (“to make a vu vu noise”), from the /vuː/ sound the horns make.

How to pronounce vuvuzela

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