Ibiza Pronunciation: How to pronounce Ibiza
There are lots of different ways that people pronounce Ibiza.
And it varies depending on where you are from. People from Australia pronounce it differently to Brits, for example.
Luckily for you, I have visited Ibiza and I learnt the correct way to pronounce it.
So without further ado, let’s get into the correct Ibiza pronunciation.
Ibiza Pronunciation
Let’s get things straight from the start and put it out there that there is more than one correct way to pronounce Ibiza.
In Catalan, the name for Ibiza is “Eivissa” which is pronounced “eee-vee-sa”. But no one really uses this name, including locals. They prefer to use Ibiza.
The locals will pronounce it “eye-beeth-a”.
But as I said, there are loads of different ways to pronounce Ibiza. Ibiza pronunciation can get confusing if you are speaking to someone from a different dialect! My Aussie friend had no idea where I was talking about when I mentioned it one time…I had to describe the island!
There are great discrepancies in the way the “I” at the start is pronounced. Is it “eye” or is it “ee”? It depends on where you are from. In British English, it’s eye and in American English, it’s ee. And that’s factual, you can check a dictionary.
So already we have two different variations: “eye-beeth-a” and “ee-beeth-a”.
And there are also discrepancies in the pronunciation of the “z” in Ibiza. Is it a z-sound or is it a “th” sound? There is no “z” sound in Spanish, and instead, it is pronounced as an S or a “th”. You can watch a YouTube video on pronouncing Z in Spanish for help.
This means that the technically correct way to pronounce it is “th”. But again, it depends on where you are from.
But this adds two further possibilities on the Ibiza pronunciation.
“eye-beez-a” and “ee-beez-a” are now added.
Meaning there are 4 possible pronunciations of Ibiza, but which is correct?
The answer is…pretty much all of them. Since none of them is technically correct in Catalan, you’ll hear all 4 variations during a trip to Ibiza, and all 4 are okay to use.
So unfortunately there is no universal answer and a definitive Ibiza pronunciation, but the four ways you can say it are “eye-beeth-a”, “ee-beeth-a”, “eye-beez-a”, and “ee-beez-a”.
What language do they speak in Ibiza?
Ibiza is a Spanish island and as a result, the official languages of Ibiza are Spanish and Catalan. These are two different languages by the way.
The main language is Catalan, and Ibiza has its own dialect of the language, known as “Ibicenco”.
If you are visiting Ibiza and only speak English, don’t worry, most people in the touristy parts of Ibiza will understand and speak good English. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t learn any Spanish or Catalan before visiting the island.
Not to mention how many Brits and other English-speaking people end up moving to Ibiza for the beautiful weather and beaches.
But to summarise, the official languages of Ibiza are Catalan and Spanish.
Useful phrases to learn before visiting Ibiza
Although English is well-spoken in Ibiza, it’s always a good idea to learn some phrases in the local language before visiting somewhere new. Ibiza is no different. Not only does it allow you to get by and you never know when it will come in useful, but the locals will appreciate the effort you have made to learn the language.
Here are some common phrases in Catalan that you might want to learn before a trip to Ibiza.
English | Catalan |
---|---|
Hello | hola |
Please | si us plau |
Thank you | gràcies |
Goodbye | adéu |
Excuse me | disculpeu-me |
Yes | sí |
No | no |
I don’t understand | no ho entenc |
Where is… | on es… |
How much does this cost? | quant costa això? |
And since there are two official languages, here are the same phrases in Spanish. As you can see, there are some similarities in the languages, but they are two different languages. Many people mistakenly think that Catalan is a dialect of Spanish but it’s not- it’s its own language.
English | Spanish |
---|---|
Hello | hola |
Please | por favor |
Thank you | gracias |
Goodbye | adiós |
Excuse me | disculpe |
Yes | sí |
No | no |
I don’t understand | no entiendo |
Where is… | dónde es… |
How much does this cost? | ¿cuánto cuesta este? |
Ibiza Pronunciation: FAQ
Below are some questions related to the Ibiza pronunciation along with my answers.
Yes, you can pronounce Ibiza with a “th”. This is because there is no “z” sound in Spanish and it is replaced with a “th” sound, resulting in Ibiza becoming Ibitha.
There is no “z” sound in the Spanish dialect, meaning that the “z” in Ibiza becomes a “th” in the pronunciation. But in American English, it is correct to pronounce Ibiza with a “z” sound. Ibiza’s pronunciation depends on where you come from and what dialect of English you speak.
There are four different ways to pronounce Ibiza in English and all 4 of them are used on the island. “eye-beeth-a”, “ee-beeth-a”, “eye-beez-a”, and “ee-beez-a” are all different ways of saying the same island, and you can use all 4. The version you use will likely depend on where you come from, with American English featuring the “z” sounds, for example.
The “z” in Spanish is pronounced as a “th” which means Ibiza becomes “Ibitha” when pronounced out loud.
Ibiza Pronunciation: Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to the correct Ibiza pronunciation, or should I say pronunciations.
The official way to pronounce “Eivissa” – the name for Ibiza in Catalan is “eee-vee-sa” but you will rarely hear it, most people prefer Ibiza, including those who live on the island.
And there are four different ways of pronouncing Ibiza, all of them are okay to say, and none of them is any more right or wrong than the other.
The four ways are “eye-beeth-a”, “ee-beeth-a”, “eye-beez-a”, and “ee-beez-a”.
So whichever Ibiza pronunciation you choose to use on your trip, I hope you have an amazing time. It’s a great place! 🙂