How to Pronounce “ratatouille”

American (US)

/ˌrætəˈtuːi/

British (UK)

/ˌrætəˈtuːi/

noun — A Provençal stew of aubergine, courgette, pepper, onion and tomato.

Example: The ratatouille tasted better the next day.

Where the stress falls. “ratatouille” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌrætəˈtuːi/ 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. /ˌrætəˈtuːi/ 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 "ratatouille" mean?

ratatouille (noun): A Provençal stew of aubergine, courgette, pepper, onion and tomato. For example — The ratatouille tasted better the next day.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "ratatouille", /ˌrætəˈtuːi/, 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 "ratatouille"?

/ˌrætəˈtuːi/ in American English, /ˌrætəˈtuːi/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "ratatouille"?

“ratatouille” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˌrætəˈtuːi/ 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.