- Home
- How to pronounce
- Food and drink
Food and drink: How to Pronounce Them
Dishes and ingredients from Italian, Spanish, Japanese and other languages, often said very differently from how they look. Press play to hear each word, or open its page for British audio, syllables and meaning.
- quinoa · KEEN-wah · /ˈkinwɑ/
Two syllables: 'KEEN-wah'. The spelling hides the w sound. - gnocchi · NOH-kee · /ˈnoʊki/
The g is silent and the cch is a hard k: 'NYOH-kee' or 'NOH-kee'. - bruschetta · broo-SKET-uh · /bruˈskɛtə/
In Italian the sch is a hard k: 'broo-SKET-uh'. 'broo-SHET-uh' is common in the US too. - espresso · es-PRES-oh · /ˌɛˈsprɛsoʊ/
There is no x in it. Say 'es-PRESS-oh', not 'ex-PRESS-oh'. - acai · ah-sah-EE · /ˌɑsɑˈi/
Three syllables, stressed at the end: 'ah-sah-EE'. - chipotle · chih-POHT-lay · /tʃɪˈpoʊtleɪ/
The t comes before the l: 'chih-POHT-lay'. It is not 'chi-POL-tay'. - Worcestershire · WUUS-ter-sher · /ˈwʊstɚʃɚ/
Much shorter than it looks: 'WUUS-ter-sher'. The middle 'ces' is skipped. - croissant · kwah-SAHNT · /ˌkwɑˈsɑnt/
English speakers say 'kruh-SAHNT'. The French version drops the t. - macaron · mak-uh-RAHN · /ˌmækəˈrɑn/
The French cookie is 'mak-uh-RON', stressed at the end. A macaroon is a different coconut treat. - prosciutto · pruh-SHOO-toh · /prəˈʃuˌtoʊ/
The sc is 'sh' and the double t is crisp: 'proh-SHOO-toh'. - focaccia · foh-KAH-chee-uh · /foʊˈkɑˌtʃiə/
The double c is 'ch': 'foh-KAH-chuh'. - cumin · KYOO-mun · /ˈkjumən/
Usually 'KYOO-min' or 'KOO-min'. Both are heard. - turmeric · TUR-muh-rik · /ˈtɝməˌrɪk/
The first r is pronounced: 'TUR-mer-ik'. Many people skip it. - quesadilla · kay-suh-DEE-yuh · /ˌkeɪsəˈdijə/
The double l sounds like y: 'kay-suh-DEE-yuh'. - tortilla · tor-TEE-yuh · /tɔrˈtijə/
The ll sounds like y: 'tor-TEE-yuh'. - jalapeno · hah-luh-PAY-nyoh · /ˌhɑləˈpeɪnjoʊ/
The j is an h sound and the n is 'ny': 'hah-luh-PAYN-yoh'. - guacamole · gwah-kuh-MOH-lee · /ˌɡwɑkəˈmoʊli/
Starts with 'gwah': 'gwah-kuh-MOH-lee'. - Bologna · buh-LOH-nee · /bəˈloʊni/
The sausage is said 'buh-LOH-nee' in the US. The Italian city keeps the 'nyuh' ending. - edamame · ed-uh-MAH-may · /ˌɛdəˈmɑmeɪ/
Four syllables, each vowel clear: 'ed-uh-MAH-may'. - sherbet · SHUR-but · /ˈʃɝbət/
There is only one r: 'SHUR-bit', not 'sher-bert'. - charcuterie · shar-KOO-tuh-ree · /ˌʃɑrˈkutəri/
The ch is 'sh': 'shar-KOO-tuh-ree'. - latte · LAH-tay · /ˈlɑˌteɪ/
Two syllables: 'LAH-tay'. The final e is spoken. - paella · py-AY-yuh · /paɪˈeɪjə/
The ll sounds like y: 'pie-AY-yuh'. - gyro · JY-roh · /ˈdʒaɪˌroʊ/
The Greek sandwich is 'YEE-roh'. The gyroscope sense starts with 'jy'. - pecan · PEE-kahn · /ˈpiˌkɑn/
Americans split between 'pih-KAHN' and 'PEE-kan'. Both are correct. - caramel · KER-uh-mul · /ˈkɛrəməl/
Americans say 'KAR-mul' or 'KAIR-uh-mel'. The British version keeps three syllables.
More tricky word lists
Silent letters
Letters that are written but never spoken. Most are leftovers from older spellings or from Latin and Greek roots.
Borrowed from French
English kept many French words close to their original sound, so the last letters are often silent and the stress lands late.
Said differently in the US and UK
Words where American and British speakers move the stress or change a vowel. Neither is wrong; pick the one that matches your audience.
Stress in an unexpected place
Words that are easy to spell out but easy to get wrong, because the strong syllable is not where you would guess.
Spellings that mislead
Everyday words whose letters point you toward the wrong sound.
Same spelling, two pronunciations
Heteronyms: words spelled the same way that change sound with meaning. In many noun and verb pairs the noun is stressed first and the verb last.
Often mispronounced
Common words that pick up an extra sound, lose one, or swap two.