Revealed: The 20 most commonly mispronounced foreign food words
If you've ever stared at the menu in a restaurant and avoided ordering a fancy sounding meal because you have absolutely no idea how to pronounce it correctly, help is now at hand.
The Co-Op and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) have teamed up to create a list of foreign food names that we all struggle to pronounce - plus a guide on how to pronounce them properly so you can order with ease.
From popular words like 'espresso' to the more complex 'tzatziki', the list outlines an array of foods from all cultures that people often find themselves stumbling over. So how many can you get right?
One of the most commonly mispronounced words is tzatziki - a Greek sauce made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dill that is often served with meats and bread - which should be pronounced 'tsat-si-ki'.
The hot-right-now grain quinoa is another health food that people struggle with and should be said 'keen-wah'. Likewise, people seem to struggle with the correct pronunciation of superfood powder, acai, which should be pronounced 'ah-sigh-ee'.
The names of various cheeses also catch people out, with Parmigiano Reggiano - which should be said 'par-mee-jah-no red-jah-no' - as well as manchego, which is correctly said 'mahn-chay-goh', making the top 20.
Other foodie words that made the list were gnocchi - pronounced 'nok-ee' - ceviche - articulated as 'suh-vee-chay' - and bouillon, which is said 'bo-yon'.
Speaking to the I about the list, Catherine Sangster, head of pronunciation at the OED, explained: 'When a new food or drink becomes popular, we keep an eye on how its name gets adapted into English.
'Some speakers will want to say the name in a completely authentic manner, matching the original language, and other speakers will be influenced by the spelling or prefer to Anglicise the sounds.
'In the dictionary, we give pronunciations that are accurate and also reflect the reality of how the word is being spoken.'
THE FULL LIST OF FOOD WORDS THAT ARE MOST COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED
1. Tzatziki: TSAT- SI - KI
2. Quinoa: KEEN-WAH
3. Parmigiano Reggiano : PAR-MEE-JAH-NO RED-JAH-NO
4. Rioja: REE-OH-HAH
5. Halloumi: HA-LU-MI
6. Prosciutto: PROH-SHOO-TOH
7. Bouillabaisse: BOUL-LA-BAISS
8.Chipotle: CHEE-POAT-LAY
9. Gnocchi: NOK-EE
10. Edamame: EDA-MAH-MEY
11. Ceviche: SUH-VEE-CHAY
12. Bouillon: BO-YON
13. Acai: AH-SIGH-EE
14. Manchego: MAHN-CHAY-GOH
15. Maraschino: MA-RA-SKEENO
16. Niçoise: NEE-SWAHZ
17. Crudites: KREW-DEE-TAY
18. Habanero: HABE-A-NE-REU
19. Anise: AN-IS
20. Guacamole: GWAK-KUH-MOLE-EE
Vocabulary Words:
1. At hand - (idiom) close by in time or space
2. Struggle - (verb) to try very hard to do something when it is difficult or when there are a lot of problems
3. Foodie - (noun) a person who is very interested in cooking and eating different kinds of food
4. Keep an eye on (something/someone) -(idiom) to watch someone or something to monitor someone or something closely
Discussion Questions:
1. Would you consider yourself a "foodie"? Why or why not?
2. Do you prefer eating out or home cokked meals? Why?
3. Have you ever been to a restaurant that serves food with names that are difficult to pronounce? How did you order food?
4. What is the importance of pronouncing words in general?
5. What’s the biggest communication problem you’ve had because of pronunciation?
