Crash course in pronouncing food

There are few things worse than mispronouncing words. When it comes to food, there are quite a few tongue-twisters that we regularly debate in the editorial office. And to save you endless debates, we’ve listed the trickiest names. Learn this list by heart and set a good example for your fellow humans.

Crash course in pronouncing food

Bruschetta
A lesson in Italian grammar: a ‘c’ and an ‘h’ together become a ‘k’ (a mnemonic: the ‘h’ makes the sound hard). So it’s brusketta, not broosjetta. This also teaches us that you pronounce the pork dish porchetta as porketta and macchiato as makkie–jato. There’s no ‘h’ in proscuitto, so the sound isn’t hard (pros-kjoe-to), but pro-sjoe-to.

Gnocchi
This is a classic, so listen carefully. Here too, we turn to Italian grammar: this alphabet contains no ‘j’, even though you hear it often in the language. This sound is formed by combining the ‘g’ and the ’n’. You pronounce it as ‘nj’, as in boloGNese and lasaGNe. And just as with bruschetta, you pronounce ‘ch’ as k. So the pronunciation of gnocchi is njokki.

Tequila
From Italy we move to Spain. Many people pronounce tequila as if it were tequilla (and in Spanish a double ‘l’ becomes a ‘j’), so: te-kie-ja (or worse: te-kiel-ja). But nothing could be further from the truth: it really says tequila, and it’s pronounced: te-kie-la. Paella, on the other hand, does have a double ‘l’ and is therefore pronounced: pa-eh-ja

Quinoa
Quinoa is a South American word, so it’s only polite to pronounce it in Spanish. The only correct pronunciation is therefore: kien-wa. So please forget kie-no-wa forever. Oh, and quinoa isn’t a grain, but is related to amaranth and completely gluten-free.

Phở
This rich Vietnamese broth is trending. Filled with meat and heartwarming flavors such as star anise and Thai basil. Phở is exactly what you need now that it’s getting colder outside (or if you have a hangover). But how do you pronounce it? The sound is difficult to describe, so here’s a fun little video:

Avocado
We don’t know where people get the D from, but avocado is in no way similar to the Dutch drink advocaat. So it’s simply a-vo-ca-do, not aDvocado.

Chipotle
You keep forgetting this notorious tongue-twister, so we’re refreshing your memory: chi-pot-lé. These smoked and dried jalapeño peppers are often sold in tins with a spicy sauce. The fact that they’re dried explains the peppers’ slightly sweet flavor. We think they’re indispensable with a Mexican meal.

Worcestershire sauce
This ultimate flavor enhancer is an essential asset in everyone’s kitchen cupboard. The origins of the product, made by the brand Lea & Perrins, remain unclear. What we do know is that the iconic bottles have been sold since 1838. The pronunciation takes some practice: woes-ter-sjer-sauce.

Read also:

• You’re really better off mispronouncing these words
• Emma’s food pet peeve #5: avocado abuse
• This is how to make foolproof gnocchi