How to pronounce cenote

Cenote is pronounced "seh-NO-teh" in Spanish, with the stress on the middle syllable. Many English speakers say "sih-NO-tee". The word comes from the Yucatec Maya ts'onot (also written dzonot), meaning a well or water-filled hollow.

How to say it

Spanish: seh-NOH-teh (IPA /seˈnote/).
English: sih-NOH-tee or seh-NOH-tay (Cambridge Dictionary lists English versions).
Stress is always on the middle syllable: ce-NO-te.
Plural: cenotes, said seh-NOH-tehs.

Common mistakes

'SEE-note' with stress on the first syllable.
'Seh-NOTE' with two syllables; the final e is pronounced.
Saying the c like k; in Mexican Spanish it is an s sound.

Where the word comes from

Spanish speakers borrowed it from Yucatec Maya ts'onot (also written dz'onot or d'zonot), which means a well or hole with water. The Spanish wrote it down as cenote in the 1500s. Diego de Landa described them in his account of Yucatán.

Maya place names with ts'onot

Dzonot or Tzonot appears in many Yucatán town names, such as Dzonot Carretero.
Yokdzonot, near Chichén Itzá, means roughly 'over the cenote' (reported).
Cenote names often add Maya words: Ik Kil (windy place), Xkeken (pig), Zací (white hawk) (reported).

Is 'cenote cenote' a thing?

People often repeat a word to search it or to practise saying it. Cenote Cenote is also the name of this site, a guide to cenotes across Mexico.

Other words you'll hear at a cenote

Aktun: cave in Maya, as in Aktun Ha (Car Wash).
Ha: water in Maya.
Sacbé: white road, the raised Maya roads.
Chaac: the Maya rain god.
Xibalba: the Maya underworld (shee-bahl-BAH).

New to cenotes? Start with our main guide: what is a cenote. Ready to visit? See the best cenotes in Tulum.

Cenote pronunciation: frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce cenote?

seh-NOH-teh in Spanish, with stress on the middle syllable.

Is it pronounced 'see-note'?

No. The stress is on NO, and the final e is pronounced.

What does cenote mean?

It comes from Maya ts'onot, meaning a well or water-filled hole.

How do you say cenotes (plural)?

seh-NOH-tehs.

How do you pronounce Xibalba?

shee-bahl-BAH. The Maya x sounds like 'sh'.