How to Pronounce "Tijuana": A Quick Phonetic Guide

Tijuana (Spanish: Tijuana) is pronounced:

tee-wah-NAH [tiˈxwana]

Breakdown

• tee — like English "tea" but shorter
• wah — "wa" as in "water" (the j represents /x/, a voiceless velar fricative like Scottish "loch" or German "Bach")
• NAH — stressed syllable, "a" as in "father"

Common Errors to Avoid

• ❌ tee-wa-NEE-na (adding extra syllable)
• ❌ tee-HWAH-na (aspirated "h" sound—/x/ is not /h/)
• ❌ tee-juh-WAH-na (English "j" sound)

Audio Reference

Listen on Forvo, Google Translate, or YouTube for native speaker recordings. The stress is consistently on the final syllable in Mexican Spanish.