NATION
How to pronounce
Colombia
kuh·LUHM·bee·uh
American /kəˈlʌm.bi.ə/
Sound by sound
4 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- kuh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- LUHM the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa — say this beat loudest
- bee the ‘ee’ in see
- uh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
Talking about Colombia
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- a Colombian
- The people / the team
- Colombians (the team: Los Cafeteros, “the Coffee Growers”)
- As an adjective
- Colombian
- The language
- Spanish
Colombians speak Spanish; there is no “Colombian” language. The team is nicknamed Los Cafeteros (lohs kah-feh-TEH-rohs), “the Coffee Growers”, after the country’s famous coffee.
Don’t say…
- koh-LOHM-bee-uh
- kuh-LAHM-bee-uh
- kuh·LUHM·bee·uh — stress on LUHM
Where the name comes from
Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus — Cristóbal Colón in Spanish — as a tribute to the explorer, with the Latin country-ending -ia (as in Australia, Bolivia). The name was promoted by the revolutionary Francisco de Miranda and adopted by Simón Bolívar’s Gran Colombia in 1819. Note the spelling: Colombia, with two O’s — not “Columbia”.
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Confederation
- CONMEBOL
- World Cup best
- Quarterfinals, 2014
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Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Colombia?
Colombia is pronounced kuh·LUHM·bee·uh in American English — 4 beats, with the stress on LUHM.
Where does the name Colombia come from?
Colombia is named after <strong>Christopher Columbus</strong> — <em>Cristóbal Colón</em> in Spanish — as a tribute to the explorer, with the Latin country-ending <em>-ia</em> (as in Australia, Bolivia). The name was promoted by the revolutionary Francisco de Miranda and adopted by Simón Bolívar’s <em>Gran Colombia</em> in 1819. Note the spelling: Colombia, with two O’s — not “Columbia”.
Is it spelled Colombia or Columbia?
The country is Colombia, with an O in the middle. “Columbia” (with a U) is the English form used for places like the Columbia River and the District of Columbia. Both honor Columbus — but the South American country is always Colombia.
What do you call the Colombian national team?
In English, “Colombia” or “the Colombians”. The nickname is Los Cafeteros, “the Coffee Growers”, a nod to Colombia’s celebrated coffee industry.