How to pronounce "tambura" in English
tæmˈbʊəɹə
tam·BOOR·ə
Primary stress: BOOR
Hear native speakers say tambura in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “tambura”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
tam
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
BOOR
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("BOOR"). 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.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "tambura" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“this system is what you call the tambura it is very old it was many thousand years ago and we're”— Smithsonian ChannelWatch clip
“And is it this resonant in the actual tambura?”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“crossfire enduring widespread hunger disease and the collapse of the Health Care system this is where the tambura family”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Oh, this is an electronic tambura, which takes the place of the real tambura, which is a stringed instrument which is used to provide a drone.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“One more thing, I'm going to start with a drone, to imitate the tambura, and we're going to add ornamentation to the melodies,”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
Practice Speaking “tambura”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
this system is what you call the tambura it is very old it was many thousand years ago and we're
Hear it in context: “tambura”
5 clipsThe English word “tambura” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as tæmˈbʊəɹə (phonetic respelling: tam-BOOR-ə). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (tam · BOOR · ə), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (BOOR). Grammatically, “tambura” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 5 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “tambura” in natural connected speech across American (US: 5 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Smithsonian Channel, MIT OpenCourseWare.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USSmithsonian ChannelClip #1 · @2:41
“the coffin this system is what you call the tambura it is very old it was many thousand years ago and we're it is very old”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #2 · @32:55
“have a drone going on while the music is happening. And is it this resonant in the actual tambura? Yeah, it is very.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @0:36
“ago now the violence has trapped the civilian population of Gaza in the crossfire enduring widespread hunger disease and the collapse of the Health Care system this is where the tambura family Care system this is where the tambura family”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @32:42
“What's the instrument that plays the background? Oh, this is an electronic tambura, which takes the place of the real tambura, which is a stringed instrument which is used to provide a drone. which takes the place of the real tambura, which”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #5 · @8:56
“but then we'll try to get into a rhythmic groove later on. One more thing, I'm going to start with a drone, to imitate the tambura, and we're going to add ornamentation to the melodies, to imitate the tambura, and we're”
Definition & Meaning: “tambura”
- A type of long-necked lute-like stringed instrument found throughout the world.
Example Sentences (3)
- “He was among the singers in the celebratory chorus of “Yellow Submarine,” and he played tambura (an Indian drone instrument) on “Within You Without You,” harmonica on “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” and percussion on “Magical Mystery Tour.””
- “this system is what you call the tambura it is very old it was many thousand years ago and we're”
- “And is it this resonant in the actual tambura?”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “tambura”
- Pronunciation:
- tam-BOOR-ə
- Syllables:
- tam · BOOR · ə
- Written Hyphenation:
- tam · bu · ra
- Primary stress:
- BOOR
- IPA:
- tæmˈbʊəɹə
- Hear it in context
- tambura
Words that Rhyme with “tambura”
-ʊərəWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"tambura" (⁄tæmˈbʊəɹə⁄) 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, "tambura" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about tambura
How do you pronounce “tambura”?
“tambura” is pronounced ⁄tæmˈbʊəɹə⁄ (tam-BOOR-ə). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “tambura”?
“tambura” has 3 syllables: tam · BOOR · ə.
Where is the stress in “tambura”?
The primary stress in “tambura” is on “BOOR”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “tambura” mean?
A type of long-necked lute-like stringed instrument found throughout the world.
How can I hear “tambura” used in real sentences?
This page has 5 real-world video examples of “tambura” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “tambura”?
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⁄).