Pronunciation

How to pronounce “via

“via” is pronounced /ˈvaɪə/ (VY-uh), and /ˈviə/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪ”.
The sound

Say “via” in 2 beats

Say it like this

via

/ˈvaɪə/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. vaɪvaɪstress
  2. əə
IPA (American)
/ˈvaɪə/
IPA (British)
/ˈvaɪə/
Also accepted
/ˈviə/
Respelling
VY-uh (also VEE-uh)
Syllables
2 — VAꞮ-ə
Stress
Stress the first syllable: VAꞮ-ə. “vaɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
preposition
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “via” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    VEE-uh

    both are standard; VY-uh is the commoner English form

Meaning

What “via” means

  1. preposition

    travelling through a place on the way to another; or by means of

    She sent the file via the shared folder.

Say it in a sentence

We flew to Lisbon via Madrid because it was cheaper.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

via”, answered

How do you pronounce “via”?

“via” is pronounced /ˈvaɪə/ (VY-uh), and /ˈviə/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “vaɪ”. Build it as VAꞮ-ə, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “via” have?

2: vaɪ · ə. The beat lands on the first, “vaɪ”.

Is “via” /ˈvaɪə/ or /ˈviə/?

Both. /ˈvaɪə/ is the form dictionaries list first (VY-uh).

What does “via” mean?

As a preposition: travelling through a place on the way to another; or by means of For example: “She sent the file via the shared folder.”

Where is the stress in “via”?

Stress the first syllable: VAꞮ-ə. “vaɪ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “via” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.