Pronunciation guide
How to pronounce ballet
ba-LAY (US, stress on the 2nd syllable) or BAL-ay (UK, stress on the 1st); the 't' is silent
US/bælˈeɪ/
bæleɪ
UK/ˈbal.eɪ/
baleɪ
New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.
Common mistake
The 't' is silent - 'ba-LAY', never 'BAL-et'.
What “ballet” means
A classical form of dance.
A theatrical presentation of such dancing, usually with music, sometimes in the form of a story.
In a sentence
- The company staged a classical ballet with lush music and precise footwork.
- We attended a dazzling ballet that told a story through dance and gesture.
Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.