How to Pronounce “affogato”

American (US)

/ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/

British (UK)

/ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/

noun — A drink or dessert (especially ice cream) topped with espresso and sometimes a caramel or chocolate sauce.

Where the stress falls. “affogato” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "affogato" mean?

affogato (noun): A drink or dessert (especially ice cream) topped with espresso and sometimes a caramel or chocolate sauce.

How do you pronounce "affogato" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "affogato", /ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "affogato"?

/ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/ in American English, /ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "affogato"?

“affogato” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌɑːfəˈɡɑːtəʊ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.