How to Pronounce “coup de grâce”

American (US)

/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/

British (UK)

/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/

noun — A final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “coup de grâce” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “coup de grâce” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ 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. /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ 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 "coup de grâce" mean?

coup de grâce (noun): A final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal.

How do you pronounce "coup de grâce" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "coup de grâce", /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/, 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 "coup de grâce"?

/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ in American English, /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "coup de grâce"?

“coup de grâce” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/ 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.