How to pronounce Croissant in English
The word ‘croissant’ was borrowed from French and just like other words English has borrowed from other languages, the English pronunciation is a bit different from the original one. In French, this word begins with a consonant cluster (krwaa-saan) that is a bit difficult for English speakers, so they came up with two simpler ways to say it.
In both versions, the primary stress is on the second syllable.
1. kruh-saant
Start with a KR consonant cluster, as in the word ‘crush’, and then move to a schwa sound: kruh.
Then add ‘saant’: an S sound followed by the aa as in ‘father’, the N sound, and then a T.
2. kwaa-saant
Here, you drop the R sound rather than the W sound – kwaa-saant. This pronunciation retains the original aa sound in the first syllable: kwaa, which is not reduced to a schwa.
Watch my tutorial on how to pronounce ‘croissant’ and practice:
Wanna know how to pronounce other food words in English? Check my tutorial about ‘gyro‘ and ‘cuisine’.
Additional resources:
