Bread Pronunciation 101

Because we’re not chumming around with master chefs and epicures 24/7, it can be easy make the error of mispronouncing common food words. Several French and Italian bread terms are often top offenders or the errors. So today, our short lesson will teach you how to correctly pronounce several varieties of bread like a true epicure. Read on!

BOULE: The French word for ball, boule is really a reference to a shape (round) rather than an actual type of bread. Because no accent exists over the letter “e”, the e is not pronounced. In French, boule is simply pronounced “BOOL”.

BISCOTTI: This crunchy twice baked biscuit in Italian is typically pronounced “bee-SCOT-tee”. The O in the middle syllable is a soft O as spoken in the word “cot”. Click on the arrow to listen to an Italian female version.

BRIOCHE: This eggy buttery French bread is pronounced several different ways. Americans typically say “Bree-OHsh” with the O as in ocean, while often Europeans say “Bree-OSH”, with the OSH rhyming with “wash”. We defer to Julia Child here, as her way MUST be correct no? Julia says it Bree-OSH, as demonstrated here (listen) , and in this gem of a vintage video, “The Story of the Three Brioche“.
Boom. Debate over!

CHALLAH: This beautifully braided Jewish bread typically served on Sabbath is pronounced with no C at all, “HAH-lah”, and Webster nails it. Listen here.

CIABATTA: This rustic porous Italian bread is pronounced “chuh-BAH-tah”. Click the arrow to listen.

CROISSANT: Many people mispronounce the buttery crescent roll. In French, final consonants are silent. So the “T” is not heard, and it’s properly pronounced “kwa-SOHN”. Click the arrow to listen.

FOCACCIA: This classic Italian flat bread is simple to say: “fo-KA-cha“.

PUGLIESE: An Italian bread very similar to ciabatta, but with a round shape. It hails from Puglia Italy, in the region of Apulia, which is in the heel of the boot. Pronounce Pugliese with a silent G, “pool-YAY-say“.

Keep in mind with all of the above, the pronunciation will often vary by the country region.

Do you have a different version of a pronunciation, or would you like to share another commonly mispronounced food word? Let us know in the comments!

image: brioche: by flickr user roboppy