50 Commonly Mispronounced Food Words, Plus 15 More
Bad news: You’ve been unwittingly pronouncing 'sherbet,' 'bruschetta' and probably a bunch of [...]
Bad news: You've been unwittingly pronouncing "sherbet," "bruschetta" and probably a bunch of other words incorrectly all your life. Heck you probably even mispronounce "sriracha," a spicy sauce that uses some of the hottest peppers in the world to create this sauce or even healthy spaghetti squash recipes in which the sauce could go on.
While we do recommend changing your ways if you still don't know how to say "quinoa" or "espresso," we will warn you that you'll risk being labeled as a pretentious ass if you insist on saying some of the others in this list correctly. (Example: Saying "No, no, no! It's KWAH-sohn!" when your date says her croissant is delicious will most likely hurt your chances of a second date.)
Pronounce the following words correctly or incorrectly at your own risk.
Acai: This word deserves all the butchering it gets just for the obnoxious way it was spelled. Both ah-si-EE and ah-sah-EE are correct.
Anise or Star Anise: Not "A Niece".
Bánh mì: Don't beat yourself up for this one. How were you supposed to pronounce a word that ended in "nh" anyway? The best most Americans can do is BON-me, and yes, the emphasis is on the first syllable.
Boudin: Not boo-DEEN or boo-DON.
Bouillabaisse: Now say it three times fast.
Bouillon: Easy Enough.
Bruschetta: You might get away with ordering broo-SHET-uh here in the states, but don't even think about saying it in Italy.
Buffet: This isn't about that silent "t." The beginning of the word is the problem, since many people say BUFF-ay instead of BOO-fay.
Caramel: To that stubborn group of people still saying CAR-mel, we are begging you: LET. IT. GO. It's KEHR-ah-mehl or KAR-ah-mehl. Three syllables. And there are four syllables in caramelize.
Chipotle: Apparently there are people out there who say "chi-POL-tay." If you're one of them, kindly correct yourself or step out of the burrito line.
Coq Au Vin: Please don't attempt to order "cock" at that nice French bistro you've been wanting to try — even though that is technically what you're ordering (i.e., rooster).
Créme Fraiche: Or you can call it fancy sour cream. Just not in public.
Croissant: Unless you're French, you probably say cruh-SAHNT. If you want to pretend you're French, say CWA-sohn. But we will judge you a little.
Crudite: No one correctly pronounces this French word for raw veggies with dip on their first try.
Cumin: We're putting this debate to rest. Both KYOO-min and KOO-min are acceptable. And it's unacceptable for you to not try adding it to your next batch of guacamole (seriously — you must try this).
Edamame: It's not a rhyme for "said a mommy."
>> Edamame is great for fighting fatigue. Find out what other foods will keep you going!
Espresso: FOR THE LAST TIME, THERE IS NO "X."
>> Try out this Skinny Mom Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Foie Gras: You're not likely to find this one on the menu in California anyway, but it's FWAH-GRAH, not foy grass.
Ghee: Like that show you "don't like" that has a bunch of high school kids singing popular songs, only without the "L."
Gnocchi: Just say no to saying NO-chee.
Guacamole: People get heated about this one. Most Americans say GWAH-ca-MOE-lay, but the "g" is rarely heard in the traditional pronunciation of the word: WAH-cah-MOE-lay. We'll call it whatever you want as long as it gets on our plate.
Gyro: We'll allow YEER-oh or JEER-oh, but if you say GUY-roh, we're going to eat your YEER-oh in retaliation.
Habanero: If you really want to get finicky, you shouldn't pronounce the "h" in habanero.
Haricot Vert: Something as simple as green beans shouldn't be this difficult to say.
Humus: Spelling this one phonetically was a challenge. The beginning of the word should have a soft "u" sound like "pull." But no one will look at you funny for saying hum-iss.
Jicama: Pronounce the "j" like an "h."
Kefir: This low-fat, fermented milk drink is frequently mispronounced in the U.S. as KEE-fur.
Macaron/Macaroon: This is more of a common spelling error than a pronunciation blunder. Macaron and macaroon are not the same thing, and if you've been under the impression that macaroon describes those adorable little French cookies, you're wrong. The tiny meringue sandwiches that come in different colors are macarons, and although you can pronounce it the same way as macaroons — mack-uh-ROONS — the French say mack-uh-RONS. A macaroon is a chewy cookie made with almonds or coconut.
Maraschino: It's OK. Your local bartender probably doesn't know either.
Mascarpone: There are two ways you could have screwed this one up: Either you're adding an extra "r" between the "a" and the "s," or you're pronouncing "pone" as one syllable — or you're doing both.
Mayonnaise: Not MAN-aze. You pronounce the "o" when you say "mayo," so don't forget it in the long-form version.
Moussaka: You've probably been placing the emphasis on the second syllable, but it's actually on the third.
Muffuletta: If you can't say it right, you don't deserve it.
Niçoise: Now you can confidently order your nee-SWAHZ salad.
Parmesan: Surprisingly, the last syllable is not pronounced like the French name Jean. It's PAR-mə-zon. Also important: Never judge a person for how much they choose to put on their pasta.
Pasta: If you live in America and aren't an Italian chef or Gordon Ramsay, you're probably saying this incorrectly. It's PAH-stuh, not PAW-stah. Pretend you're going to say "pat" to get the hang of this one.
Pho: This Vietnamese noodle dish does not rhyme with "yo." It should sound like the beginning of a certain four-letter word.
Pommes Frites: If you like your fries extra French, you order pohm-FREET.
Poutine: Even the Canadians disagree on this one, but we're standing by our research.
Prosciutto: The best kind of shahr-KOO-tuhr-ee.
Quinoa: Impossible to figure out on your own.
Radicchio: Not rah-DEECH-ee-o.
Risotto: Gordon Ramsay might look snooty as hell saying ree-SOT-toe on "MasterChef," but he's right. While the rest of us barbarians are going around saying ree-ZOH-toe, Ramsay knows not to use a "z" or long O sound in the second syllable.
Sake: Technically it's SAH-keh if you want to pronounce it like they do in Japan.
Salmon: This is why the English language is so damn frustrating. The "l" in "salmon" is silent. Why? Absolutely no reason.
Sherbet: There's only one "r" in "sherbet." And unless you're under the age of 10, you really should have upgraded to sorbet by now.
Sriracha: Truth hurts.
Tumeric: There are multiple ways to get this wrong. Many people say TOOM-uh-rihk, while others mistakenly emphasize the second syllable and say ter-MARE-ik.
Tzatziki: So yeah. All cleared up, right? We still couldn't say it after watching this video.
Worcestershire sauce: Easier solution: Just say Lea & Perrins.
Hors D'oeuvre: To save you ordering the "horses doovers," let us whet your appetite with this little treat. It's not as complicated as it looks.
Calzone: With a big old Italian "eh" at the end (see "marscapone")
Provolone: And while you're getting the habit, here's provolone. Think about all the times cheese has made you happy — you could at least get its name right.
Dulce de Leche: Found in various forms all over South and Central America. And in your kitchen too if you ask for it correctly.
Vichyssoise: You've been saying what now? Just be happy we no longer call it Crème Vichyssoise Glacée.
Cachaça: Very popular in Brazil and an ingredient in your caipirinha (kye-peereen-yah). Try it again after a couple at the bar.
Raita: Traditionally call pachadi, the delicious condiment from the sub-continent certainly is worth the effort.
Arancini: There's only one "c" so it's not "cheeny."
Ceviche: It's that final "e" again that insists on tripping up the American tongue.
Orecchiette: This small, disk-shaped pasta has a name that means "little ears." So listen up.
Amandine: Although it means a garnish of almonds, it is not (as is often the case) spelled "almondine," either.
Guanciale: Not the way your friend says it. It's not from Chile.
Paczki: These jelly doughnuts are to be found in your local Polish bakery if you're lucky enough to have one. And now you can ask for them with impunity.
Gouda: You might just hate us for this one but your favorite Dutch cheese is actually pronounced "how-dah" after the city of its origin. We'll quite understand if you ignore us.
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