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10 French Desserts You're Probably Mispronouncing

You know how to fold a fancy napkin, the proper way to slice Brie and even how to make coq au vin. But are you totally embarrassing yourself when you try to order the crème brûlée from that elegant restaurant down the street? Here, ten French desserts you’re probably saying wrong.

11 International Foods You Might Be Pronouncing Wrong


french desserts crepes
ERIN MCDOWELL

Crepes

The wrong way: Kraypz

The right way: Krehpz

Life lesson: If you want to sound fancy, say it the French way and roll the “r” a bit.


french desserts creme
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Crème Brûlée

The wrong way: Kreem Brew-lee

The right way: Krehm Brew-lay

Don’t let all the crazy accents scare you.

french desserts petit
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Petit Four

The wrong way: Puh-teet For

The right way: Puh-tee Foor

They are petite… So we’ll take four.

french desserts medeleine
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Madeleine

The wrong way: Maah-duh-line

The right way: Mad-lenn

Not the small girl who walked in two straight lines. 


french desserts eclair
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Éclair

The wrong way: Ee-klar

The right way: Eh-klayr

As in “these chocolate-filled éclairs are très magnifique, eh?”

french desserts macaron
Stephanie Frey/Getty Images

Macaron

The wrong way: Mack-uh-roon

The right way: Mack-ron

Not to be mistaken for the coconut cookies with the extra “o.” 

RELATED: How to Make Dreamy, 5-Ingredient French Meringue Cookies

french desserts kuign
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Kouign-amann

The wrong way: Coo-gun Ay-mun

The right way: Kween Uh-mawn

As in “Yasss, kween. These pastries are très bon.”

french desserts canele
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Canelé

The wrong way: Cuh-nell-ee

The right way: Cah-null-ay

These mini Bundt cakes are the cutest.

Beignet

The wrong way: Bayg-net

The right way: Ben-yay

As in “Yay! We’re going to NOLA to eat beignets.”

french desserts clafoutis
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Clafoutis

The wrong way: Klaw-phoo-tiss

The right way: Klah-phoo-tee

It’s a traditional dessert of black cherries covered in flan and confectioners’ sugar. 



RF1

Director, Branded Content + Cohost, Royally Obsessed Podcast

As Director of Branded Content at Gallery Media Group, Roberta helps oversee the ideation and execution of sponsored content and experiential campaigns across PureWow and ONE37pm, including PureWow’s 24 in ’24. She began her career in editorial nine years ago, and has written and edited countless articles on news, trends, fashion, beauty and the royal family. She’s also cohost of the Royally Obsessed podcast, named one of the best royals podcasts by The New York Times and Town & Country. She cowrote the book Royal Trivia: Your Guide to the Modern British Royal Family.