Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a cappella

/ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.76 in modern English

Syllables
a -cap-pel-la
IPA
/ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A vocal performance with no instrumental accompaniment.

adv

In the manner of a choir with no instrumental accompaniment.

adv

In alla breve time.

Obsolete

adj

Singing solely or mainly without instrumental accompaniment.

adj

Related to a form of purely vocal music mostly associated with American college performance groups.

American usage

adj

alla breve.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian a cappella (“in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel”), referring to non-instrumental choirs.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/
  • British English: /ˌæ.kəˈpɛl.ə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

a cappellas (plural) a capella (alternative, misspelling) acapella (alternative, misspelling) a-cappella (alternative, adjective)

Derived Forms

percapella

Synonyms

a capella

Rhymes With

venezuela umbrella vanilla bella stella ella fella cinderella hella coachella mozzarella salmonella

Questions

How do you pronounce a cappella?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/.
What does a cappella mean?
A vocal performance with no instrumental accompaniment.
Where does a cappella come from?
It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce a cappella

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