HOW TO PRONOUNCE
opera
/ˈɑpɹə/
Press play to hear how to pronounce opera.
American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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LISTEN FOR THIS
OP-ruh is a shorter, two-syllable pronunciation.
OP-ruh moves directly from p to r. The fuller OP-uh-ruh includes a middle vowel; compare what the video speaker does.
2 syllables · Stress on syllable 1
TRY SAYING
“We went to the opera on Saturday.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does opera mean?
noun
- A theatrical work, combining drama, music, song and sometimes dance; usually, one sung-through, based on classical music and seen as more artistic and formalized than other forms of musical theater.
- The score for such a work.
- The genre of such works, the art of composing operas.
More meanings (4)
noun
- A building designed for the performance of such works; an opera house.
- A company dedicated to performing such works.
- Any showy, melodramatic or unrealistic production resembling an opera.
- plural of opus; a collection of work.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈɑpɹə/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
“Wunsch gave me that when he went away. I’ve told you about him, my old teacher in Moonstone. He loved that opera.”
An opera hat was pushed to the back of his head, and an evening dress shirt-front gleamed out through his open overcoat.
More book examples (3)
He turned off the gas, lit his pipe, opened the window, and focussed the opera glasses on the door of the bookshop.
They were all at the Opera that night, but looked round in vain for the fierce conspirators whom they were instructed to suppress.
“Oh no, I can’t leave this place, why should I hurry away? I will go to my orchestra-stall and sit out the opera.”