How to Pronounce “sommelier”

American (US)

/səˈmeliər/

British (UK)

/ˈsɒməlieɪ/

noun — A trained wine steward in a restaurant.

Example: The sommelier suggested a lighter red.

A loanword from French. The final -ier is “-yay”, and the stress falls at the end: “suh-mel-YAY”.

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

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /səˈmeliər/ 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 "sommelier" mean?

sommelier (noun): A trained wine steward in a restaurant. For example — The sommelier suggested a lighter red.

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

American English: /səˈmeliər/. British English: /ˈsɒməlieɪ/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "sommelier"?

/səˈmeliər/ in American English, /ˈsɒməlieɪ/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "sommelier"?

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

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