2 syllables: la, ta. Stress on la.
LAH-tuh
/ˈlɑtə/
lata is pronounced LAH-tuh (/ˈlɑtə/). It has two syllables (la-ta), with the stress on "la". Lata is a plural noun in several Romance-influenced languages referring to plates or bowls, or a feminine singular form in some contexts. In English contexts it appears mainly as a borrowed or technical term, sometimes used in textiles or culinary discussions. The pronunciation tends to be the main hurdle for non-native speakers due to vowel quality and potential stress variations depending on language of origin.
Lata is a plural noun in several Romance-influenced languages referring to plates or bowls, or a feminine singular form in some contexts. In English contexts it appears mainly as a borrowed or technical term, sometimes used in textiles or culinary discussions. The pronunciation tends to be the main hurdle for non-native speakers due to vowel quality and potential stress variations depending on language of origin.
"The metal lata were stacked neatly on the shelf."
"During the ceremony, decorative lata were used to hold offerings."
"In the cookbook, lata bowls are described as shallow and wide."
You say /ˈlɑːtə/ in most English-speaking contexts: the first syllable has a strong open back vowel like ‘lot’ without the 'o' sound, and the second syllable is a light /ə/ (schwa) or a clear /ə/ depending on speed. Stress is on the first syllable. If you’re drawing from Romance pronunciation, you might hear /ˈla.ta/ or /ˈla.ta/ with a brighter ‘a’ in both syllables; keep the first syllable stressed and the second reduced in fast speech. IPA helps you lock in the two-syllable rhythm.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈlɑː.te/ with equal emphasis on both syllables; (2) Overpronouncing the second syllable as /eɪ/ or /e/ instead of a neutral /ə/; (3) Using a closed ‘t’ with a strong alveolar stop in both syllables rather than a lighter /t/ or /d/ in rapid speech. Correction: keep /ˈlɑː/ with a crisp, longer first vowel, then softly release a quick /tə/ in the second syllable; aim for a relaxed, reduced final vowel.
In US/UK/AU, the initial vowel tends to be a broad open /ɑː/ as in 'father,' with the consonants unchanged; rhotic accents won’t affect vowel length. UK listeners may perceive slightly tenser vowels due to non-rhotic tendencies; AU followers often have a more centralized or broader /ɐː/ in the first syllable depending on region. The second syllable remains a reduced /tə/ or /tə/ sound in casual speech. Overall: stressed first syllable, second syllable lighter, not strongly vowelized.
The difficulty lies in two aspects: a) achieving the clean, stressed first syllable with a thick back vowel /ɑː/ before a light, unstressed second syllable; b) keeping the second syllable as a subdued /tə/ without adding extra vowel length or a full /a/. Non-native speakers may also inject an intrusive /eɪ/ or mispronounce the /t/ as a fully released /t/. Focus on a strong first syllable, then a quick, muted second syllable.
Yes. Although often treated as a simple two-syllable word, some contexts borrowed from Romance languages may preserve closer to /ˈla.ta/ with equal stress and a crisper final /a/. If you’re working with academic or ethnographic texts, you may encounter the variant where both syllables are fully vowelized /ˈlaː.ta/. The key is to align with the source language of the text you’re reading or speaking about.
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Lata derives from Latin lata, plural of latum, a neuter plural participle of ferre ‘to bear, carry’ with lata meaning ‘carried things’ or ‘carried objects’. In Latin, lata is the feminine plural past passive participle form of ferre, evolving into meaning “brought, carried” and by extension used for containers or plates in some Romance languages. The word appears in ecclesiastical and classical contexts where items such as plates or offerings were described as lata. In modern usage, you encounter lata mainly in Iberian languages (e.g., lata as a feminine noun meaning plate) and in some configurations in English loanword usage, often in culinary or ethnographic descriptions. The semantic shift from a generic “carried thing” to a concrete container object is evidenced by historical inventories and artisan vocabularies, where specific terms label plate-like vessels and shallow basins. First known use in English alongside Latin in academic texts dates to the late 19th to early 20th century when scholars cataloged artifacts from classical sites and colonial domains, adopting lata to describe certain dishware assemblages. Over time, lata has maintained niche usage in technical lexicons, with occasional appearance in design and ethnography literature.
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Words that rhyme with "lata"
-eta sounds
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