Foreign Words in English: Pronunciation
How to pronounce foreign words used in English - croissant, karaoke, faux pas, schadenfreude - with audio.
Results
The 7ESL Foreign Words Pronunciation guide covers the borrowed words English uses every day but never quite anglicised: croissant, karaoke, faux pas, schadenfreude, doppelganger. Browse them below or search one, and each opens with an easy respelling, the IPA, audio and a note on the original-language sound where it matters.
Why borrowed words keep tripping us up
English borrows freely and spells reluctantly. A word arrives from French, Japanese, German or Italian keeping its original spelling, so the letters on the page encode the sounds of another language entirely. That is why faux pas drops most of its letters (it is "foh PAH"), why karaoke is closer to "kah-rah-OH-keh" than the common "carry-okey", and why schadenfreude needs its German vowels. Using these words is a sign of a rich vocabulary; saying them well completes the effect.
What each entry gives you
Open any word to see the respelling first, then the IPA for precision and a Listen button that speaks it aloud from its phonetic form. Where the accepted English pronunciation differs from the original language, both appear, clearly labelled, so you can sound natural in English or faithful to the source.
The words people search
The guide covers the foreign words people most often look up, and grows as more enter English. Many food and place names are borrowed words too, so the Food and Place Name guides overlap usefully, and the How to Pronounce hub search reaches names and brands as well. For French, Japanese and German terms especially, the original-language note helps you say them with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce faux pas?
Roughly "foh PAH" - both the X and the S are silent, following French. The entry plays the audio so you can hear it.
How do you say karaoke and schadenfreude?
Karaoke is closer to "kah-rah-OH-keh" than "carry-okey", and schadenfreude keeps its German vowels. Open their entries for the respelling, IPA and audio.
Should I use the original or the English pronunciation?
The guide shows both where they differ, labelled clearly, so you can sound natural in English or faithful to the word's home language.
Why do borrowed words keep their odd spellings?
English usually adopts a foreign word's spelling unchanged while its pronunciation only partly anglicises, so the letters reflect the original language, not English rules.
Can I hear the word spoken aloud?
Yes. Every entry has a Listen button, and the audio comes from the phonetic respelling so each word plays the way it is said.
Includes data from the Open English WordNet and WordNet 3.1, used under their respective open licences.