Learn How to Pronounce Tel Aviv | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Tel Aviv
(Listen to the audio below for the stress and intonation)
Meaning and Context
Tel Aviv, officially Tel Aviv-Yafo, is a major global city on Israel's central Mediterranean coastline, founded in 1909 as a modern Jewish suburb of the ancient port of Jaffa. It is widely recognized as Israel's economic and technological hub, often called the "Silicon Wadi" for its dense concentration of high-tech startups and venture capital firms. Beyond its business prowess, Tel Aviv is celebrated for its vibrant 24/7 lifestyle, pristine urban beaches, world-class Bauhaus architecture in the White City UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a thriving, liberal cultural scene encompassing renowned nightlife, LGBTQ+ events, and an eclectic culinary landscape. The city seamlessly blends its historic core in Jaffa, with its millennia-old ruins and flea market, with a relentless, forward-looking energy, making it a premier destination for tourism, innovation, and contemporary Mediterranean living.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The primary spelling is "Tel Aviv," which is the standard English transliteration from the Hebrew "תל אביב." A common alternative is "Tel Aviv-Yafo" or "Tel Aviv-Jaffa," reflecting the city's official name after its 1950 merger with the ancient city of Jaffa. Frequent misspellings and typos include "Tel Avive," "Tel Avivi," "Telaviv" (as one word), and "Tel-Aviv" (though the hyphenated form is sometimes seen, the unhyphenated version is more standard in English). Another error is the confusion with "Tel-Aviv University," which is correctly hyphenated in that institutional name. The Hebrew meaning, "Spring Mound," can sometimes lead to the incorrect "Tel Abib," which is a different transliteration used in a biblical context (Ezekiel 3:15) but not for the modern city.
Example Sentences
After a morning exploring the ancient alleyways of Jaffa, we spent the afternoon lounging on the bustling beaches of Tel Aviv.
The city's reputation as a nonstop party destination is well-earned, with clubs and bars in neighborhoods like Florentin pulsing until dawn.
Many tech entrepreneurs flock to Tel Aviv to tap into its dynamic startup ecosystem and attend annual innovation conferences.
Our guided architecture tour focused on the hundreds of preserved Bauhaus buildings that give the White City its distinctive character.
For a truly local experience, we rented bicycles and rode along the expansive Tel Aviv promenade from the port to the marina.
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