3 syllables: o, bi, spo. Stress on bi.
oh-BIS-poh
/oʊˈbɪspoʊ/
obispo is pronounced oh-BIS-poh (/oʊˈbɪspoʊ/). It has three syllables (o-bi-spo), with the stress on "bi". Obispo is a Spanish noun meaning 'bishop' (a cleric in charge of a diocese). It also appears in proper names and phrases. In everyday Spanish, it’s used for church contexts, titles, and historical or literary references. Correct pronunciation emphasizes a clear first vowel and a lightly rolled 'r' in related forms, with final syllable stress on the second-to-last syllable in standard Spanish variants.
Obispo is a Spanish noun meaning 'bishop' (a cleric in charge of a diocese). It also appears in proper names and phrases. In everyday Spanish, it’s used for church contexts, titles, and historical or literary references. Correct pronunciation emphasizes a clear first vowel and a lightly rolled 'r' in related forms, with final syllable stress on the second-to-last syllable in standard Spanish variants.
- You’ll stumble if you rush the middle syllable; slow down to articulate the [β] and [i] clearly, then speed up. - Common slip: turning o-BIS-po into o-BIS-po with the final 'o' elongated; keep final [o] short and crisp. - Another misstep: pronouncing the [β] as a hard [b]; aim for a softened fricative with light lip contact. - Correction tips: practice in isolation [β] with a continuous flow, then in CV-CVC words like o-βi, to build the fricative. Use mirror or camera to verify lip position; keep your lips relaxed but ready. Practice with slow tempo, then bring rhythm in. - Recite phrases slowly, focusing on vowel lengths, to prevent vowel reduction in the second syllable.
"El obispo visitó la parroquia del pueblo."
"La palabra obispo aparece en el catolicismo e historia medieval."
"El obispo bendijo al equipo de la ciudad."
Pronounce as [oˈβi.spo] in standard Spanish. The stress falls on the second syllable: o-BIS-po. Start with a round, open-mid back vowel [o], then a voiced bilabial fricative [β] (like a softer 'b'), followed by a clear [i], and end with a voiceless aspirated [s] and a close, rounded [po]. IPA: US/UK: oˈβi.so; ensure the 'b' is not fully plosive but a softer [β], and the final 'o' is short. You’ll often hear a near-closed vowel in casual speech; aim for clarity in the middle vowel.
Common errors: (1) stressing the wrong syllable; (2) producing an English 'o-bee-spo' where the middle vowel is tense; (3) pronouncing the 's' as a strong voiceless fricative in all dialects. Correction: keep the primary stress on the second syllable [oˈβi.spo], relax the vowels, especially the first [o], and softly articulate the [β] and [s]. Practice by saying ‘oh-BEE-spoh’ with a gentle, quick [β] and a crisp final [s], then drop the vowel length as you accelerate.
US/Latin American Spanish tends to be clear vowels, with a softer [β] and consistent [s]. UK English-influenced learners may distort the vowels; aim for [oˈβi.spo]. In some Caribbean varieties, the final s may be aspirated or dropped in casual speech, but standard pronunciation retains [s]. The key differences are vowel quality (clear short [o] vs shorter or rounded) and the bilabial fricative [β] realization. Overall, US/LA Spanish keeps a crisp [s] and a mid [i], while some dialects slightly reduce vowels.
Two main challenges: the bilabial fricative [β], which is softer than a true [b], and the correct Spanish stress on the second syllable. Learners from English backgrounds often hyperarticulate the [b], turning it into a stop; practice the soft, continuous [β] by lightly touching the lips without complete closure. Also, maintain a rapid, clear [s] before the final vowel, instead of letting it fade. Mastery comes with slow practice and then speed while preserving the rhythm o- BIS-po.
A unique challenge is maintaining the clean syllable boundary between the mid vowel [i] and the following [s]. In some dialects, the 'isp' cluster can blur, making it sound like 'ovi-spo'. You want the syllable boundary crisp: [o-βi-s-po], with [β] as a soft fricative. Use minimal pairs like ‘biso/bi-so’ to tune the middle vowel clarity and the separation between [i] and [s]. Also ensure the stress sits on BIS, not on the final syllable.
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- US: emphasize the non-rolled /s/ cluster and ensure [o] is open-mid; the [β] should be a soft fricative, not a stop. Vowels tend to be purer; avoid diphthongization. - UK: similar, but keep a slightly tenser [i] and crisper [s]; rhoticity not applicable as Spanish is non-rhotic but ensure clear syllable boundaries. - AU: vowel quality may be broader; keep [o] rounded and the middle [i] closed; maintain the soft [β] and crisp [s]. IPA references: US oˈβi.so, UK oˈβi.spo, AU oˈβi.spo.
Obispo proviene del latín episcopus, que a su vez deriva del griego episcopós (episkopos), que significa ‘supervisor’ o ‘inspector’ (epíscopo). Episkopos se compone de epí- (sobre, encima) y skopos (mirar, observar). En el ámbito cristiano, el término se consolidó para designar a un líder de la Iglesia con autoridad pastoral. En castellano, obispo ya aparece en textos medievales; la forma se consolidó en los siglos XII y XIII, con influencias de la liturgia latina y la tradición románica. Con el tiempo, el significado se mantuvo estable: líder eclesiástico de una diócesis, con rango por encima del sacerdote. En español moderno, la palabra es común en textos religiosos y en nombres históricos, pese a ocasionales variaciones dialectales en la pronunciación de la s y la acentuación de la penúltima sílaba. El término también aparece en expresiones como “obispo emérito” o como título de ciertos personajes. En otras lenguas romances, cognados como obispo (portugués) o bishop (inglés) reflejan la misma raíz y evolución semántica, subrayando la influencia de la Iglesia en la expansión del vocabulario religioso a través de Europa. En suma, obispo es un préstamo antiguo que ha mantenido su función semántica básica mientras conserva una pronunciación relativamente estable en español moderno. First known uses se remontan a manuscritos medievales donde ya se refería a la figura eclesiástica central.
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Words that rhyme with "obispo"
-obo sounds
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