3 syllables: To, ma, to. Stress on ma.
tuh-MAY-toh
/təˈmeɪˌtoʊ/
Tomato is pronounced tuh-MAY-toh (/təˈmeɪˌtoʊ/). It has three syllables (To-ma-to), with the stress on "ma". Tomato is a noun referring to a round, edible fruit with a juicy interior and a leathery skin, widely used as a vegetable in cooking. In the US and many parts of the world it is commonly treated as a vegetable for culinary purposes, though botanically it is a fruit. The word is often used in phrases describing color (tomato red) and in produce markets.
nounTomato is a noun referring to a round, edible fruit with a juicy interior and a leathery skin, widely used as a vegetable in cooking. In the US and many parts of the world it is commonly treated as a vegetable for culinary purposes, though botanically it is a fruit. The word is often used in phrases describing color (tomato red) and in produce markets.
"I bought fresh tomatoes from the market for the salad."
"The tomato sauce simmered on the stove all afternoon."
"She sliced the tomato and layered it on the sandwich."
Tomato is typically pronounced as tuh-MAY-tuh in US and UK English, with the primary stress on the second syllable. The IPA is /təˈmeɪ.tə/ (US/UK). In some American dialects you might hear /təˈmeɪ.də/ in fast speech, but /təˈmeɪ.tə/ is most widely accepted. To say it correctly, begin with a schwa in the first syllable, raise the mid-front vowel to /eɪ/ in the stressed second syllable, and end with a light schwa. Think: tuh-MAY-tuh.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable (TO-mah-to or TO-mah-TO) instead of the second, and misplacing the /eɪ/ vowel as /aɪ/ or /ɛ/. Some speakers also reduce the final syllable too much, saying tuh-MAY-tuh as tuh-MAY, or replacing /tə/ with a full /to/ nearby. To correct, practice the sequence: schwa, stressed /ˈmeɪ/ vowel, light /tə/ ending. Record yourself and compare to /təˈmeɪ.tə/ and aim for a crisp second syllable with a subtle final schwa.
Across major accents, the second syllable stress remains stable: to-MAY-to. In US and UK, the vowel in the second syllable is a long /eɪ/. American rhoticity does not dramatically affect tomato, but some US speakers may slightly reduce the first syllable to /tə/ while UK speakers often keep it as a full schwa /tə/. Australian speakers typically maintain /təˈmeɪtə/ with a clear /ɪ/ or /ə/ ending. The main differences lie in vowel quality and cadence rather than stress position.
Tomato challenges learners with the distinct second-syllable vowel /eɪ/ and the weak first syllable /tə/. The final unstressed schwa /ə/ can be subtle and easy to omit or distort, particularly in rapid speech. Additionally, native speakers vary between /təˈmeɪtə/ and /təˈmeɪ.də/ in casual speech. Focus on the exact vowel height in /eɪ/ and the light, almost hidden final sound; practice with slow, deliberate enunciation before increasing speed.
Yes—emphasis on the second syllable and the way the final /ə/ breathes out in fluid speech. In teaching, you’ll want to guide learners toward /təˈmeɪ.tə/ with a clean, brief /tə/; ensure the /eɪ/ is held as a mid-to-high vowel and not shortened to /e/. It’s also useful to model the sequence with a quick mouth position check: open lips for /t/ and /d//d/ onset of the second syllable; then relax for /ə/ at the end. This makes tomato feel natural rather than forced.
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The word tomato originates from the Spanish tomate, borrowed from the Nahuatl (Aztec) metl-tomatl meaning ‘plump fruit’ or ‘fat tomato’. The Nahuatl term was adapted into Spanish as tomate, then entered English in the 18th century as tomato. Early English usage often treated it as a vegetable in cooking contexts, despite its botanical classification as a fruit (specifically a berry). The term spread through trade routes from the Spanish colonies, with regional spellings and pronunciations influencing its journey into British English and American English. Public debate about its culinary role continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating in the familiar rhyme and widespread use of “tomato” in both the fruit and vegetable sense, and its archetypal color reference (“tomato red”). The split between pronunciation variants (to-MAY-to vs. to-MAH-to) reflects broader vowel shifts and regional speech patterns across North America and the British Commonwealth. First known English attestations appear in 18th-century texts describing plants and produce, with popularization of the culinary fruit rising alongside global food culture in the late 1800s.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tomato" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Tomato" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Tomato"
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