31 everyday food names most people can't pronounce

Tasty tongue-twisters

Anyone who's been afraid to order the dish or drink that they really wanted for fear of looking silly will know: there are some food names that are just hard to wrap your tongue around. Whether they’re dishes or brands that many people get wrong, or ingredients that you rarely hear said out loud, it can be an edible minefield. Here are some of the most mispronounced foods – and how we should be saying their names.

Read on to learn how to pronounce some of the most perplexing food terms, counting down to the most difficult of all.

We've based our ranking on the difficulty of each food item's pronunciation, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

31. Latte

This is such a common coffee order that you'd think we’d all know how to say the name, and yet there’s often debate as to exactly how latte is pronounced – especially how long and drawn out those vowels should be. Not very, in fact, as this velvety coffee, usually made with a double espresso topped up with steamed milk, is pronounced 'la-teh'. The coffee is technically a latte macchiato, as latte alone translates as simply 'milk'.

30. Sriracha

Occasionally an ingredient becomes the next big thing despite lots of people having no clue how to say its name. Sriracha is a prime example. The spicy, tangy Thai sauce, made with red jalapeños, garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt, has achieved a cult-like status, with fans drizzling it on prawns, eggs, chips and pretty much everything else. Its name looks like a trip hazard for your tongue, but it’s pretty simple: just drop the first 'r' and pronounce it 'see-ra-cha'.

29. Quesadilla

Quesadilla is one of those words that can have you panicking while waiting in line at a Mexican restaurant or food truck, because it’s so easy to say it wrong. The correct pronunciation is 'ke-sah-dee-yah' or, in Spanish, 'ke-sah-thee-yah'. Meaning 'little cheesy thing', these popular street food snacks are made with tortillas ('tor-tee-yas') folded over cheese and other ingredients, and they're cooked on a griddle until the filling becomes a delicious ooze.

28. Burrata

Buffalo mozzarella (pronounced 'boof-a-la motz-a-reh-la', FYI) may be a cool, creamy delight, but burrata takes things up several notches. The king of mozzarellas is a meltingly beautiful marvel made with water buffalos' milk cheese, filled with a velvety combination of cream and milk curds. Its pronunciation – 'boo-rah-ta' – is almost as gorgeous.

27. Lychee

This tropical fruit is commonly grown in balmy climates, from southern China to Malaysia. Once the deep pink shell is peeled away, the fruit, which has sweet floral notes, is a glossy white colour. Rather than 'lee-chee' as some commonly mispronounce it, the correct way to say its name is 'lie-chee'. Packed with antioxidants, lychees are delicious on their own or served as the base for a creamy dessert like panna cotta.

26. Crudités

You’ve no doubt tucked into a few of these fresh veggie bites at a birthday buffet in your time, but have you ever tried pronouncing the classic French appetiser's name? Thankfully, it isn't as mystifying as it first seems. Crudités are commonly made up of fresh vegetables like carrot sticks, cucumber batons, bell peppers and celery – and the word is pronounced 'kroo-dee-tay' (or, in French, 'kroo-dee-teh').

25. Gouda

The name of this nutty, semi-hard cows' milk cheese is more complicated to say than it might appear. It’s produced in South Holland, so it's supposed to be said with the Dutch 'g', which is more like an 'h' but said with a guttural, throat-clearing sound, like 'gh-ouw-da'. It can also be pronounced, a little more simply, 'how-da'.

24. Espresso

No matter how busy you are, this tiny coffee is not pronounced 'ex-press-oh'. It’s easy to see why so many people get mixed up, though, as cups of espresso are made for knocking back speedily – plus, they begin as the starting point for so many coffee styles, from cappuccino to cortado. The single shot of coffee, properly served with a toffee-hued crema or head, is pronounced 'ess-press-oh'.

23. Jarlsberg

The Norwegian 'j' is pronounced like the English 'y', so this nutty, buttery cheese should be pronounced 'yarls-berg'. It was first made in the 1950s in Ås, a small village in Norway. It’s a protected brand produced by the Jarlsberg company in Norway and at dairies in the US and Ireland. Made with cow’s milk and a secret-recipe starter culture that gives it a distinctive taste, each wedge has bubbly holes or air pockets dotted through it, meaning it’s often compared to Swiss Emmental.

22. Bánh mì

This tasty Vietnamese sandwich typically features a crispy, airy roll, juicy meat (usually pork or chicken), pickled veggies, fresh herbs and a handful of fiery chillies. Rather than being pronounced 'ban-mi', as the spelling suggests, the 'a' is said as a 'u', and the 'i' takes on an 'e' sound, finishing as 'bun-me'. You’ll find this street food across Vietnam, as well as in Vietnamese restaurants all over the globe.

21. Camembert

This creamy, oh-so-oozy cheese has nothing to do with any Bert (as far as we know). The 't' is silent, so the cheese, from the Normandy region of France, should be spoken out loud as 'cam-om-bear'. And, in our opinion, the popular appetiser should be baked so the inside is runny and the white rind just soft – and scooped up with lots of crusty bread.

20. Chipotle

Whether you’re referring to the chilli peppers or the popular fast food chain that bears the same name, chipotle should be pronounced 'chi-poat-lay' (as opposed to the commonly uttered 'chi-pot-el'). The chillies are ripened jalapeños that have been smoked and dried, giving them a distinctive deep maroon hue and wrinkly skin. They bring a deep, rich, smoky flavour to many Mexican dishes.

19. Beignet

The name of these pillowy, puffed-up doughnuts should be pronounced 'ben-yay'. The second syllable is easy to remember once you’ve taken a bite, because it’s probably what your taste buds want to exclaim. French in origin, beignets have become synonymous with the US city of New Orleans, where they’re usually served buried under a mound of powdered sugar, with a café au lait on the side for dipping.

18. Dr. Oetker

Baking enthusiasts and pizza fans might have met Dr. Oetker. The company, which was founded in Germany in 1891, is a familiar sight in grocery stores. It's famous for its frozen Ristorante pizzas and for making a wide range of cake mixes, as well as pretty much any staple baking ingredient you can think of. Founded by Dr August Oetker, the company's name is correctly pronounced 'ert-ker'.

17. Crêpe

Whether you like yours filled with savoury ham and cheese or smothered with fresh lemon juice and sugar, this easy-to-make French delicacy always hits the spot. Next time you find yourself in Paris, try your best to impress the locals with the correct pronunciation – 'kr-ehp' – and you’re guaranteed to receive a nod of approval (or, at the very least, a tasty treat).

16. Açaí

The grape-like berries of the açaí palm have reached superfood stardom in many countries and are packed with antioxidants. Their slight sweetness, balanced with a sharp tartness, means they’re also delicious in a breakfast bowl or smoothie – though, the name isn’t so easy to say. Despite its brevity, this Brazilian berry’s name has three syllables and is correctly pronounced 'ah-sigh-ee'.

15. Roquefort

It forms the foundation of many a cheeseboard, but, despite the spelling, Roquefort has nothing to do with forts, or any castle for that matter (though it’s probably been served in a few). The 'que' has a 'k' sound, and the 't' is silent, so the name of the crumbly, buttery, blue-veined cheese is pronounced 'rock-for'. It’s made from unpasteurised sheep’s milk in southern France, where it’s matured in underground caves.

14. Nutella

You’d think this one would be straightforward, but this hugely popular and widely craved hazelnut-chocolate spread isn’t pronounced 'nut-el-ah' in the US, but 'new-tell-uh'. Its surprising pronunciation is down to its Italian origins; the spread was created by Piedmont bakery owner Pietro Ferrero in the 1940s as a way of making pricey cocoa go further.

13. Chorizo

Chorizo is one of those words that people either aren’t sure how to pronounce, or are too shy to say correctly for fear of sounding a little pretentious. It’s also one of the most common food names people get wrong, perhaps because there’s no clear guidance on exactly how we should be pronouncing it. 'Chuh-ree-zoh' and 'chuh-ree-soh' are both considered acceptable, though in Castilian Spanish the spicy, paprika-laced sausage should be spoken as 'chuh-ree-tho'.

12. Gruyère

This Swiss semi-hard cheese, made from unpasteurised cows' milk, is pronounced 'grew-yeah' in US English or the ever-so-slightly different 'gree-yeah' in British English. It’s named after the Swiss town of Gruyères and is known for its nutty, fruity taste. It melts beautifully and is a champion when it comes to adding a delicious richness and depth to recipes – and it's also perfect transformed into a gooey fondue.

11. Ferrero Rocher

From the same Italian company as Nutella, these indulgent bite-sized treats have a similar chocolate and hazelnut flavour. The filling of hazelnut cream is encased in crisp wafer, smothered in chocolate and more hazelnut, then wrapped in the signature gold foil. Oh, and the name is pronounced 'fur-rare-row row-shey' – but 'yum' is also perfectly acceptable.

10. Pho

The spelling of this infinitely slurp-able Vietnamese soup might suggest it’s spoken as 'po' or 'foe', though the correct pronunciation is 'fuh'. The fragrant soup is made with a deep, flavoursome broth to which rice noodles, herbs and meat are added, and it's so synonymous with Vietnam that it’s widely considered the country’s national dish.

9. Viognier

This floral, honeyed wine, with notes from mango and peach to vanilla and clove, is delicate, complex and sure to impress – unless you stumble over its stilted-looking spelling, that is. It’s pronounced 'vee-own-yay', though 'vee-nyay' is often accepted without an eye roll, too. Viognier originates in southern France and is the only permitted grape in the Rhône Valley wine Condrieu, though it’s widely grown in other wine regions, too.

8. Bruschetta

Bruschetta, an Italian dish of lightly toasted bread topped with garlic, perfectly ripe chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil, is summer encapsulated in one dish. But its name is as tricky as the dish is to share (cutting up topped toast rarely occurs without spillage). It’s commonly mispronounced with a 'ch' sound, which should be a 'k' – meaning its name is spoken as 'broo-sket-tah'.

7. Worcestershire sauce

Unless you’re from the UK – or, more specifically, from the county of Worcestershire – it's unlikely you’ve been pronouncing this cupboard staple's name correctly. Rich with umami flavours, this fermented sauce was created by pharmacists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins in the 19th century. These days you’ll find it added to everything from Welsh rarebit to devilled eggs. While it may seem like a bit of a tongue-twister, it’s simply pronounced as 'wuh-ster-sheer' sauce.

6. ‘Nduja

Spicy, spreadable and sensational in dishes from stews to pasta sauces and pizza toppings, this Italian pork sausage from Calabria (at the toe of Italy’s boot) has become something of a hero ingredient. Yet it can be a little tricky to say and is often mispronounced due to the 'ja'. The name should be spoken as 'en-doo-ya', with the 'j' melting away like the soft sausage in a frying pan.

5. Quinoa

This South American grain has become a hugely popular superfood in the past decade or so – and it’s always been a victim of mispronunciation, especially when it was relatively new to many people. Rather than 'keen-oh-ah', as the spelling suggests, it’s supposed to be a slowly spoken 'keen-wah'. The name comes from Quechua, a language mostly spoken in the Andes.

4. Laphroaig

Serious whisky fans tend to swoon at the sound of 'Laphroaig', the favoured Scotch for lovers of peaty single malts. Unless the name is said wrongly, perhaps. Anything with this many vowels is easy to get wrong. This whisky, from the Scottish island of Islay ('eye-luh'), is pronounced 'lah-froyg', which is harder to remember than its distinctive, slightly salty taste.

3. Paella

Whether it’s seafood only, a veggie version or has chunks of chicken stirred through it, paella can be tricky to pronounce. The double-l is pronounced as a 'y' sound, so the right way to say paella is 'pie-ay-ya'. Originating in Spain’s Valencia region, the rice dish is cooked in broth and typically has a combination of meat, seafood and vegetables, with saffron giving it a distinctive yellow hue. The name comes from the pan it’s cooked in.

2. Gyros

This delicious Greek dish, a popular street food, is best eaten with lots of refreshing yogurt-based sauce – and said with a silent 'g'. The correct pronunciation of gyros is 'yee-rohs', regardless of whether you're referring to one or several (the singular 'gyro' is an Anglicised form). They're traditionally made by wrapping soft pittas around tender lamb or mutton cooked on a vertical rotisserie, but they're often made with pork, chicken or beef, too.

1. Croissant

You might find it tempting to accentuate the 't' of croissant – almost as tempting as the flaky pastry itself. However, the letter is redundant; instead, the word is pronounced as 'krwa-sohn', though you may find it easier to say 'kwa-sohn'. This one may take a little patience to perfect, but it’s worth it if you want to get your hands on the crescent-shaped bake from a real French pâtisserie (without disapproval).

Now discover the foods you should NEVER order at a restaurant 

Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.