Cabriolet is a noun for a lightweight, horse-drawn or motorized open-top carriage, or more commonly a two-seat convertible automobile. It denotes a vehicle with a folding roof or a light, elegant carriage style, often used in fashionable or historical contexts. The term conveys a sense of mobility and leisure, and is used in both classic and modern descriptions of carriages and convertibles.
- You’ll often misplace the stress, saying cabri-olay or cabrio-LET. To fix: keep the root /ˌkæ.brio/ and stress the final syllable /ˈleɪ/. - The /br/ cluster should be tight; avoid inserting a vowel between b and r. Practice with minimal pairs like cabriolet vs cabriolet to feel the contrast. - The final vowel should be a long A; don’t shorten to /ɪ/ or /ɛ/. Speak: cabri-o-LAY, with crisp /leɪ/.
US: /ˌkæ.brioˈleɪ/ with rhotic r, mid back /ɔɹ/ rhythm; UK: /ˌkæ.brɪˈəʊ.leɪ/ with non-rhotic r, more centralized /ɪ/ in the second syllable, and /əʊ/ in /oʊ/; AU: /ˌkæˈbroʊ.leɪ/ falling diphthong in the third, more uniform stress, often with less emphasis on the middle syllable. IPA references: per-syllable vowels show differences: US /æ/ vs UK /æ/, /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/; final /leɪ/ consistent across accents.
"The tourist rode a Cabriolet along the French Riviera, enjoying the breeze."
"In the early 1900s, writers described pricey Cabriolets as the height of fashionable transport."
"The new sports Cabriolet model combines speed with an open-air experience."
"She admired the vintage Cabriolet at the auto show and pictured driving it on a sunny day."
Cabriolet comes from French cabriolet, originally a light two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding hood. The French term derives from cabriole, itself from Italian cabriole “a leap or hop,” metaphorically alluding to the carriage’s light, breezy, easily folded top. The earliest English usage appears in the 19th century, reflecting the borrowing of fashionable European terms during carriage-and-relief design trends. The modern automobile sense, a two-seat convertible, emerged in the early 20th century as automotive manufacturers adopted the name to evoke elegance and leisure associated with open-top travel. Over time, cabriolet also became a general label for similar convertible forms in various countries, sometimes with regional spellings (cabriolé in French), though “cabriolé” is now rare in English outside historical or haute-couture contexts.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Cabriolet" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Cabriolet" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Cabriolet"
-net sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You say Cabriolet as /ˌkæ.brioˈleɪ/ in US and /ˌkæ.briˈəʊ.leɪ/ in UK, with primary stress on the third syllable in many varieties. Start with /ˌkæ/ (kæ as in cat), move to /brio/ where /br/ is a single consonant blend, then end with /ˈleɪ/ or /ˈləɪ/ depending on dialect. Think: cab-ree-oh-LAY, with the emphasis shifting to the final syllable in many speech patterns. Audio references: consult Pronounce and Forvo for native samples.
Common errors: misplacing stress (pronouncing cabri-Ó-lay or Cabrio-LET), mispronouncing /brio/ as /briːo/ or separating the /br/ cluster too slowly, and softening the final -et into an /ɪ/ sound. Correction: use /ˌkæ.brioˈleɪ/ or /ˌkæ.brɪˈəʊ.leɪ/ with a clear /br/ cluster, keep /oʊ/ as a digraph in US or /əʊ/ in UK, and ensure the final /leɪ/ has the long A sound.
In US English, stress often lands on the third syllable: /ˌkæ.brioˈleɪ/. UK English tends to place more prominence on the final syllable: /ˌkæ.brɪˈəʊ.leɪ/. Australian English aligns closer to UK music of vowels but may reduce the second syllable slightly, producing /ˌkæ.brɪˈəʊ.leɪ/. The main differences lie in the rhotacism absence or presence and vowel qualities: /ə/ vs /ɪ/ in the second syllable, and /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/ in the third.
It’s tricky due to the three-syllable rhythm, the consonant cluster /br/ after an open syllable, and the final diphthong /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ that blends into /leɪ/. English listeners also expect a final -et-like ending in some contexts, which can tempt mispronunciation as /-et/ or /-eɪt/. Focus on keeping the /br/ cluster tight, the mid syllable short, and a crisp long A at the end.
A unique angle is the potential secondary stress patterns across dialects, with some speakers giving the middle syllable a slight emphasis as a bridge to the final /ˈleɪ/. Also, the /br/ cluster demands smooth articulatory timing; abrupt release can degrade the natural flow. Ensure your mouth positions give you a rapid, tight /br/ release and a clean, elongated final /eɪ/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Cabriolet"!
- Shadowing: imitate a native speaker pronouncing cabriolet in context; pause and repeat with the same speed; - Minimal pairs: cabriolet vs cabriolet? (No exact pair), instead compare “cab” vs “cabriolet” (focus on /æ/ and /br/). Use pairs like ک?; - Rhythm: practice 4-beat rhythm: /ˌkæ.brioˈleɪ/; count 1-2-3-4 to align stress. - Stress: emphasize final syllable in US, but middle stress placement may vary; - Recording: record yourself and compare to native samples; - Context: use sentences with open-top car terms to embed phrase.
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