Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

payola

/peɪˈoʊlə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.99 in modern English

Syllables
pay-ola
IPA
/peɪˈoʊlə/
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

Perhaps a blend of pay + Victrola, equivalent to pay + -ola.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /peɪˈoʊlə/
  • British English: /peɪˈəʊlə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

payolas (plural)

Phrases

pay to play

Frequently Paired Words

pay to play

Rhymes With

cola ebola viola lola motorola angola hola loyola pensacola guardiola nola ola

Questions

How do you pronounce payola?
The recorded pronunciation is /peɪˈoʊlə/.
What does payola mean?
A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).
Where does payola come from?
Perhaps a blend of pay + Victrola, equivalent to pay + -ola.

How to pronounce payola

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