NATION
How to pronounce
Uruguay
YUUR·uh·gwahy
Native [u.ɾuˈɣwai] → American /ˈjʊr.ə.ɡwaɪ/
Sound by sound
3 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- YUUR the ‘uur’ in tour — say this beat loudest
- uh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- gwahy a long i, like eye
Talking about Uruguay
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- a Uruguayan
- The people / the team
- Uruguayans (the team: <em>La Celeste</em>, “the sky-blue ones”)
- As an adjective
- Uruguayan
In Spanish the country is said oo-roo-GWAHY, with the stress on the last beat; the common English YOOR-uh-gway moves it to the front. The team’s nickname La Celeste (lah seh-LEHS-teh) comes from their sky-blue shirts.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- YOOR-uh-gway
- oo-roo-GWAH
- YER-uh-gway
- YUUR·uh·gwahy — stress on YUUR
Where the name comes from
Uruguay takes its name from the Uruguay River, which forms its western border, and the river’s name comes from Guaraní, the indigenous language. The exact sense is debated, but the leading readings tie it to a river creature — most often a snail (uruguá) plus y (“water/river”), giving roughly “river of the snails”; another reading points to a kind of water bird. The Spanish colonizers adopted the river’s native name and later extended it to the whole country.
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Confederation
- CONMEBOL
- World Cups won
- 2 (1930 and 1950)
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Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Uruguay?
Uruguay is pronounced YUUR·uh·gwahy in American English — 3 beats, with the stress on YUUR.
Where does the name Uruguay come from?
Uruguay takes its name from the Uruguay River, which forms its western border, and the river’s name comes from <em>Guaraní</em>, the indigenous language. The exact sense is debated, but the leading readings tie it to a river creature — most often a snail (<em>uruguá</em>) plus <em>y</em> (“water/river”), giving roughly “river of the snails”; another reading points to a kind of water bird. The Spanish colonizers adopted the river’s native name and later extended it to the whole country.
Did Uruguay really win the very first World Cup?
Yes — Uruguay hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, beating Argentina 4–2 in the final in Montevideo. They won again in 1950, stunning host Brazil 2–1 in the match Brazilians still call the <em>Maracanazo</em>.