During your lifetime, you will probably find yourself in a French, Italian or Vietnamese restaurant, or travel to Germany, Greece, or Spain. You'll want to try some authentic local dishes and beverages. You'll open the menu, but the letters forming the words will look like gibberish. You'll even doubt that some of these letters are genuine letters! So what can you do but try your best and guess what the pronunciation could be? How are you supposed to say it without sounding like a complete tool, especially if it's a well-known item?
We have selected 20 popular dishes, ingredients, and beverages, and listed them along with a simplified, phonetically correct, pronunciation.
1. Açaí
Correct pronunciation: ah-sah-ee [a'sai]
Credits: Shutterstock
Often hailed as a superfood, the Açaí craze has been swiping the world over the last few years, mainly in the form of a healthy dessert Açaí na tigela (Acai Bowl). This Amazonian berry is rich in natural antioxidants, vitamins, and essential fatty acids, and tastes like a combination of chocolate and blueberry, with subtle tones of red wine. Unfortunately, when pronouncing it, speakers often do it with a "k", which is just... wrong.
2. Phở
Correct pronunciation: fuh [fə:]
Credits: Shutterstock
Probably the best-known Vietnamese culinary export and second most popular soup in the world, phở is the juggernaut of comfort foods. It comes in tens, even hundreds of delicious varieties, but although it's popular in every corner of the planet, many people still struggle with pronunciation. We don't blame them, because phở, when pronounced correctly, sounds like an unfinished word, and that just doesn't sit right. Well, it is what it is, and it definitely isn't "poo"!
3. Quinoa
Correct pronunciation: kee-nwah [ki:nwa]
Credits: Shutterstock
This versatile pseudocereal is a sweet little tongue twister, but once you learn how to pronounce it correctly, you can forever be "that guy/girl", who corrects everybody else and soon loses all his/her friends. Pfff, who needs them anyway?! You've got the power of knowledge! As quinoa's consumption is rapidly growing and it's becoming increasingly popular, that knowledge may come in handy if you ever want to become a quinoa mogul. I mean, who doesn't, right?
4. Gyro
Correct pronunciation: yee-roh [jirou]
Credits: Shutterstock
Gyro is probably the first thing you'll taste in Greece, but you don't need to go that far to try it because nowadays, you can find it in almost every city across the globe. As it's the second most popular wrap in the world, it's probably useful to know how to pronounce it correctly. So, if you want a gyro, say it like you want to rhyme it with the word "hero". Simple and delectable, just like the dish itself.
5. Bruschetta
Correct pronunciation: broo-sket-a [bru:sketa]
Credits: Shutterstock
Talking about simplicity, you can't go simpler than a good, old, classic bruschetta. And yet, it is still one of the most divine dishes you will ever have the privilege to taste, especially if you manage to do that in Italy. As Italians are notorious for their resentment towards the bastardization of their language (and cuisine), you will probably earn some points with the locals if you pronounce bruschetta correctly.
6. Bouillabaisse
Correct pronunciation: boo-yuh-bes [bujəbes]
Credits: Shutterstock
It only fits one of the most elaborate and luxurious seafood dishes in the world to have the name that almost every non-French native has a problem pronouncing. But that's just the thing with the French language: you just have to get used to a bunch of letters that just shouldn't be there. However, if you divide the name into syllables, it should roll off the tongue easily.
7. Worcestershire
Correct pronunciation: woo-stuh-sheer [wustəʃər]
Credits: Shutterstock
The legend says there are as many pronunciations of Worcestershire sauce as there are people on the planet, and we tend to believe it's true. Most people try to break the word Worcestershire into three pieces (wor-cester-shire), an endeavor doomed even before it started. Instead, you have to do it in one swift go, with a soft "r" at the end. This pungent, savory sauce is like the word itself: once you tame it, you can fully enjoy it!
8. Espresso
Correct pronunciation: es-press-o [e'spreso]
Credits: Shutterstock
There is no "x" in espresso. Period.
9. Croissant
Correct pronunciation: kwa-sohn [kwəˈson]
Credits: Shutterstock
Who doesn't like the smell of fresh coffee and a warm croissant in the morning? Me. Well, at least the coffee part. When it comes to the croissant, it's a completely different story. This ubiques French pastry (although, some will argue it is actually an Austrian pastry) is the most beloved pastry in the world, and justifiably so. That's the reason more to refrain from verbal gymnastics and learn how to pronounce it correctly.
10. Aglio e olio
Correct pronunciation: ah-lyo oh-lyo [alijo olijo]
Credits: Shutterstock
This timeless Italian classic is a staple of cucina povera, with only spaghetti, garlic, and oil as its ingredients (well, at least in the most rudimentary, traditional form). The main thing to know when pronouncing aglio e olio is that the "g" is silent. And regarding that "e" that bridges aglio with olio, it isn't a mistake if you vocalize it, but Italians usually don't.
11. Camembert
Correct pronunciation: kam-om-bear [kamombeər]
Credits: Shutterstock
Nope, it's not "Come on, Bert". Camembert, one of the best and most known cheeses in the world, deserves better, and it's good to know that the "t" at the end of French words is (almost) always silent. And if you use that trademark French tongue-swirl at the end (the soft "r") while pronouncing camembert, you'll be the envy of everybody at your next cheese party!
12. Paella
Correct pronunciation: pie-aye-ya [pa'eija]
Credits: Shutterstock
Going to Spain and not tasting paella, the epic one-pot rice dish with seafood, meat and/or vegetables, would be like being the president of the United States and not having a peak at those top secret UFO files. You just have to do it! And the word itself isn't that hard to pronounce correctly: you only have to remember the "l" is silent. Both of them!
13. Beignet
Correct pronunciation: ben-yay [benjei]
Credits: Shutterstock
The French influence on New Orleans and its culture is still strong, and that bond may never break. Some of the most emblematic dishes of this colorful city are rooted in French cuisine, and one of them is definitely beignet, a deep-fried pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar. If you're ever in doubt about how to pronounce it, just think of how happy you are to see your old buddy Ben and say, "Ben, yay!".
14. Ceviche
Correct pronunciation: seh-vee-che [se'viche]
Credits: Shutterstock
This beloved Peruvian raw seafood salad is becoming more and more popular worldwide, and although the pronunciation isn't too hard, there are still many people who aren't quite sure how it's supposed to sound. The main misconception is that the first syllable is pronounced "che", when in reality, it's "seh", like in "seven".
15. Sriracha
Correct pronunciation: see-racha [si'racha]
Credits: Shutterstock
A few decades ago, sriracha was a condiment virtually unknown to anybody outside Thailand. This hot sauce would probably remain unknown if it weren't for a guy named David Tan, whose company Huy Fong Foods adapted the recipe and introduced it to the US market. Sriracha almost immediately became a global sensation. It is praised and loved by many aficionados of spicy food, but also often mispronounced. The golden rule is that the first "r" is silent!
16. Niçoise
Correct pronunciation: nee-swahz [ni'swaz]
Credits: Shutterstock
Here's another French dish and another French word that is hard to pronounce. Originating from Nice, this flavorful and colorful salad has caused millions of tongue-twists in French restaurants all over the world. The rule to follow here is the same as with any other word of this beautiful language: don't try to make sense of it by reading it phonetically, and just learn how it SHOULD sound.
17. Moët & Chandon
Correct pronunciation: mo'wett-e-shandawn [moet-e-shandon]
Credits: Shutterstock
Remember when we said that the letter "t" in French words is (almost) always silent? Well, this is why we used the term "almost always". There are several reasons for this exception, one being that Moët is actually a Dutch surname, but we're not going to dwell deeper on that... you'll just have to trust us. The go-to champagne of the rich and the famous is usually referred to only as Moët, but if you want to be exact, you're not going to leave out the Chandon part. Only remember that the /n/ sounds should be soft, like the bubbly on your tongue.
18. Poké
Correct pronunciation: po-kay [poukei]
Credits: Shutterstock
Bigger, more robust Hawaiin brother of ceviche, poké is often mispronounced, largely because it is written the same as the verb „to poke“. But remember, this is not an English word, so the right way to say it would be something like "OK", but with a soft "p" at the beginning.
19. Gnocchi
Correct pronunciation: nyoh-key [njoki]
Credits: Shutterstock
This may come as a surprise, but many still say gnocchi with a /g/ or even a /k/ sound at the beginning. And these little Italian dumplings definitely don't deserve the mispronunciation because they have given us so much.
20. Vichyssoise
Correct pronunciation: vee-shee-shwaz [vishiˈswaːz]
Credits: Shutterstock
It is only fair to end this list with one more French word. Vichyssoise is a tasty, cold vegetable soup that was named after the French town Vichy. It might seem complicated at first glance, but it's fairly easy to pronounce once you break it into two parts. Extra points are given for the emphasized /z/ at the end.
