Canapé is a small, prepared hors d'oeuvre, typically served on a base or toast with a topping. As a noun borrowed from French, it denotes a refined, bite-sized appetizer often enjoyed at receptions. The word also refers to the serving piece itself, and in culinary contexts may imply stylish presentation. The stress pattern is on the second syllable: can- A- pé (ka-NA-pay in anglicized form).
"The caterer offered an assortment of canapés, from smoked salmon to bruschetta."
"She arranged a colorful tray of canapés for the cocktail hour."
"Are the canapés gluten-free, or do you have a wheat-free option?"
"He learned the artful way to pair wine with each canapé topping."
Canapé comes from the French word canapé meaning a couch or sofa, metaphorically extended to denote a serving piece that supports a bite-shaped topping. The culinary usage dates to the late 19th century French cuisine, where chefs described a small, elegantly arranged snack perched atop a base, designed to be eaten in one bite. The word entered English via culinary references and reshaped in English spelling to reflect French pronunciation. The acute accent on the final é indicates the closed-front vowel /e/ and a terminal rather than silent consonant, guiding the two-syllable rhythm can-â-pé—though many English speakers anglicize it as can-uh-PAY, with variable stress on the last syllable. First known print attestations appear in mid-to-late 1800s cookbooks and menus describing canapés as fancy hors d’oeuvres at formal gatherings, with reception culture thereafter popularizing the term in multicultural culinary contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Canapé"
-apé sounds
-ape sounds
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Pronounce it as /ˈkæ.nə-peɪ/ (US) or /ˈkæ.nəˌpeɪ/ with stress on the first syllable and a clear final /eɪ/. The final é carries an /eɪ/ diphthong, so your mouth finishes lightly open with the tongue high and forward. Visualize “ka-nah-PAY,” keeping the second syllable stressed slightly when used in longer phrases. Listen for the emphasis shift in menus that present it as “CA-nah-PAY.”
Common errors include pronouncing the final é as a pure /ɛ/ or /e/, like can-uh-PEE, and misplacing the stress as can-uh-PEE or can-AY-pay. Correct by ensuring the final /eɪ/ is a distinct diphthong and stressing the first syllable: /ˈkæ.nəˌpeɪ/ in many English contexts. Keep lips rounded slightly for /eɪ/, and avoid a trailing /ɪ/ or /iː/ in the final sound.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈkæ.nəˌpeɪ/ with a light, clipped second syllable and a clear /eɪ/ at the end. UK English tends to preserve a crisper final /eɪ/ with slightly longer vowels and reduced rhotics in connected speech. Australian English mirrors US rhotics but may shorten the vowel quality of the first syllable. Across all, avoid pronouncing it as can-uh-PEE or cane-uh-PEE, and keep the final /eɪ/ distinct.
The difficulty lies in the final /eɪ/ diphthong after an unstressed first syllable and coordinating a French-derived accent. The non-English accent on the final é can subtly shift to /eɪ/ or to /e/ depending on speaker background. The two-syllable rhythm with a potential trisyllabic feel in rapid speech makes it easy to misplace stress or blend the final syllable. Practicing the diphthong and keeping syllable boundaries crystal helps.
Yes. In many pronunciations, the word bears primary stress on the first syllable: CAN-uh-pay, with a secondary or light stress on the final syllable in longer utterances. Phonotactically, the French-derived /nə/ sequence in the middle can be challenging for English speakers who expect a stronger /n/ and schwa. The final /peɪ/ demands a clear articulation of /p/ and the following /eɪ/.
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