A guide to saying it correctly
How to Pronounce Ibiza
Pronounce Ibiza like 'ee-BEE-thah' to sound and avoid common American missteps.
ibiza
ee-BEE-thah
/iˈβiθa/ · ee · BEEE · thah
Native US English · Kokoro neural TTS · 0:01
It's a popular topic in vacation planning, club music scenes, and sometimes in news reports about European tourism.
Where the word comes from
The name Ibiza is believed to derive from the Phoenician name for the island, 'Ebusim', possibly meaning 'the island of Bes', referring to the ancient Egyptian god of music and revelry.
Common ways people get it wrong
- ih-BEE-zuh Americans often substitute a 'z' sound for the 'th' sound and might use a short 'i' at the beginning. Remember the 'th' is like in 'thin'.
- ih-BYE-thuh This common mistake comes from misinterpreting the 'i' as a long 'i' sound. The first 'i' is a short 'ee' sound.
Frequently asked
How do Americans usually mispronounce Ibiza?
Many Americans pronounce it as 'ih-BEE-zuh' or 'ih-BYE-thuh'. The key is the 'th' sound and the initial 'ee' sound.
Is the 'z' in Ibiza pronounced like a 'z' or a 'th'?
In Spanish, the 'z' in Ibiza is pronounced like a 'th' sound, similar to the 'th' in 'thin' or 'bath'. So, it's 'ee-BEE-thah'.
What's the easiest way to remember the pronunciation?
Think of it as 'ee-BEE-thah'. The first syllable is like 'ee', the second is stressed 'BEE', and the last is 'thah'.
