Au Gratin is a culinary term for a dish that is finished with a browned, baked crust of breadcrumbs and cheese. The phrase denotes a method rather than a single ingredient, and is commonly used to describe casseroles or potatoes au gratin. It signals a golden, crisp top achieved by broiling or baking, often with a creamy interior.
"The potatoes au gratin baked until the top was perfectly browned."
"For the dinner party, I prepared salmon au gratin with a cheesy crust."
"She served a classic potato au gratin as the main side dish."
"We enjoyed a rich, creamy chicken au gratin that bubbled under a crisp cheese layer."
Au gratin derives from the French phrase au gratin de (with a crust) or gratin, meaning ‘grated’ or ‘grated cheese’ via the Old French gratin, from the verb grate (grater implies grated). The term appears in French culinary usage to describe a dish topped with breadcrumbs and cheese that browns in the oven. In English, the phrase became a borrowed culinary label used to describe dishes finished with a crust. The first known English usage appeared in the 18th or early 19th century culinary texts that translated or adopted French menus. Over time, au gratin evolved from a simple description of “with a crust” to a class of dishes prepared with a cheesy, breadcrumb topping, most commonly potatoes, vegetables, or proteins, baked until the crust is deeply browned and crisp. The culture of gratins spread globally, reinforcing the term as a standard menu item rather than a method-specific label, while retaining its French accent and pronunciation cues, especially the silent final n in the second word in English usage. The pronunciation in English tends to de-emphasize the final consonant blend, shaping how speakers approximate the /ɡrɑːˈtæ̃/ or /oʊ ɡræˈtæ̃/ patterns depending on dialect, with the emphasis typically on the second word “gratin.”
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Words that rhyme with "Au Gratin"
-ven sounds
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Pronounce as /oʊ ɡrəˈtæ̃/ in US, with stress on the second syllable of gratin. For more accuracy, think "oh grah-TAHN" but nasalized on the final vowel. The first word is a long, rounded /oʊ/, then “gratin” with the second syllable carrying the primary stress. You’ll often hear a slight French flavor in careful speech. IPA guide: US /oʊ ɡrəˈtæn/ or /oʊ ɡrəˈtæ̃/ depending on whether the final vowel is nasalized in your dialect. UK may render as /ə ɡrɑːˈtɒ̃/ and AU as /ɒ ɡɹæˈtæn/ with similar nasalization.
Common errors: (1) Stressing the first word instead of the second: say gra-TAN rather than GRA-tan. (2) Mispronouncing the second word as plain ‘grat-in’ with a hard t; instead, use a light, nasal final and avoid a blunt stop. (3) Misplacing vowels in the first word; ensure your mouth rounds for /oʊ/ rather than a short /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ sound. Focus on the nasalized final vowel in gratin, and keep the /n/ soft or slightly silent depending on dialect.
In US English, expect /oʊ ɡrəˈtæ̃/ with schwa in first syllable and a rhotic /r/. UK English often yields /ə ɡrɑːˈtɒ̃/ with non-rhotic /r/ and broader vowel in the first syllable. Australian tends to align closer to US but with non-rhoticity and vowel shifts (closer to /ə ˈɡrætɪn/ or /ɒ ɡræˈtæ̃/). The crucial differences are rhoticity (US rhotic vs UK non-rhotic) and vowel quality in the first and second syllables, particularly the length and nasalization of the final vowel.
Difficulties include the final nasal vowel in gratin and the French-derived stress pattern, which may feel unfamiliar to English speakers. The second syllable carries the primary stress, and the /æ̃/ vowel requires nasalization that English speakers don’t always replicate. Additionally, the silent or lightly articulated end in some dialects can blur the final n. Mastery requires focusing on nasalization, final t-sound blending, and maintaining the French-influenced rhythm.
Why does the phrase often seem to ‘sit’ between English and French modes of pronunciation? Because it preserves a French-origin form in English usage, speakers balance English phonotactics with French-influenced vowel lengths and final nasalization. The result is a blend: the stress pattern and initial /oʊ/ or /ə/ sound from English, paired with the French-derived final nasal vowel and the light, sometimes silent final consonant. This hybrid pronunciation is why you’ll hear both /oʊ ɡrəˈtæ̃/ and /ə ɡrɑˈtɒ̃/ depending on speaker.
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