How to pronounce "maría" in English
ˈmɑːrə
MAR·ə
Primary stress: MAR
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No video clips indexed yet for “maría”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “maría”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
MAR
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the first syllable ("MAR"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "maría" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Practice Speaking “maría”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
The corpus of related texts tells us that within rural society it was not improbable for your neighbour's envy of your fine cattle to take the form of a mara.
Hear it in context: “maría”
The English word “maría” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˈmɑːrə (phonetic respelling: MAR-ə). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (MAR · ə), with primary lexical stress placed on the 1st (initial) syllable (MAR). Grammatically, “maría” functions as a noun. Hear native speakers say maría in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “maría”
- A nightmare; a spectre or wraith-like creature in Germanic and particularly Scandinavian folklore; a female demon who torments people in sleep by crouching on their chests or stomachs, or by causing terrifying visions.
Example Sentences (1)
- “The corpus of related texts tells us that within rural society it was not improbable for your neighbour's envy of your fine cattle to take the form of a mara.”
Pronounce: “maría”
- Pronunciation:
- MAR-ə
- Syllables:
- MAR · ə
- Written Hyphenation:
- ma · ra
- Primary stress:
- MAR
- IPA:
- ˈmɑːrə
- Hear it in context
- maría
Words that Rhyme with “maría”
-ɑrəWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"maría" (⁄ˈmɑːrə⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "maría" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about maría
How do you pronounce “maría”?
“maría” is pronounced ⁄ˈmɑːrə⁄ (MAR-ə). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “maría”?
“maría” has 2 syllables: MAR · ə.
Where is the stress in “maría”?
The primary stress in “maría” is on “MAR”.
What does “maría” mean?
A nightmare; a spectre or wraith-like creature in Germanic and particularly Scandinavian folklore; a female demon who torments people in sleep by crouching on their chests or stomachs, or by causing terrifying visions.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “maría”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).