3 syllables: Cas, ser, ole. Stress on Cas.
KAS-ur-ohl
/ˈkæsɚˌoʊl/
Casserole is pronounced KAS-ur-ohl (/ˈkæsɚˌoʊl/). It has three syllables (Cas-ser-ole), with the stress on "Cas". Casserole is a noun for a baked dish consisting of mixed ingredients, typically including meat or vegetables, bound with a sauce and cooked slowly. It can refer to both the dish itself and the cooking vessel. In everyday use, it denotes comfort-food meals prepared for sharing, often versatile and hearty with layered flavors.
nounCasserole is a noun for a baked dish consisting of mixed ingredients, typically including meat or vegetables, bound with a sauce and cooked slowly. It can refer to both the dish itself and the cooking vessel. In everyday use, it denotes comfort-food meals prepared for sharing, often versatile and hearty with layered flavors.
- 2-3 bullet point style: • Mistake: Overemphasizing the second syllable leading to KAS-EE-ROHL. Correction: keep a light, quick schwa and primary stress on the first syllable. • Mistake: Merging syllables, sounding like /kæs roʊl/. Correction: maintain a distinct middle /ə/ and a clear boundary between /s/ and /ə/. • Mistake: Final /l/ blends toward a vowel; correction: articulate a clear alveolar /l/ with the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge, avoid vocalizing into /w/ or /u/.
How to Pronounce Casserole
"We brought a creamy chicken casserole to the potluck."
"Her family’s favorite casserole includes noodles, cheese, and broccoli."
"The restaurant features a vegetarian casserole with mushrooms and peppers."
Pronounce as /ˈkæs.əˌroʊl/ (US) or /ˈkæs.əˌrəʊl/ (UK). The main stress falls on the first syllable, with a secondary stress on the third syllable. Start with a short, crisp /k/ + /æ/ as in “cat,” then a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /roʊl/ (US) or /rəʊl/ (UK). Think: KAS-uh-roll. A quick audio reference: listen to native speakers saying “casserole” in cooking videos or dictionary entries for /ˈkæs.əˌroʊl/.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the schwa in the second syllable, giving /ˈkæsroʊl/ which sounds off; 2) Treating it as a single word with even stress rather than the natural compound cadence; 3) Mispronouncing the final /roʊl/ as /rol/ or /roːl/. Correction: keep the /ə/ in the second syllable and maintain a light secondary stress on the third syllable, so the rhythm is KAS-ə-ROHL. Practice the sequence slowly: kæ – sə – roʊl, ensuring the middle vowel remains neutral and the final vowel is tight-rounded /oʊ/ in US, or /əʊ/ in UK.
In US English, /ˈkæs.əˌroʊl/ with a rhotic /roʊl/ and a clear /oʊ/ diphthong at the end; the middle is a relaxed /ə/. UK speakers often use /ˈkæs.əˌrəʊl/ with /əʊ/ and a non-rhotic or weakly rhotic final consonant, depending on region, and the middle often sounds closer to /ə/. Australian English typically mirrors US in rhoticity but may reduce the middle vowel slightly and keep /ə/ as a schwa; final /l/ is light in some accents. The rhythm remains 2–3 beat pattern, but vowel qualities vary, so listen for /roʊl/ vs /rəʊl/. IPA references: US /ˈkæs.əˌroʊl/, UK /ˈkæs.əˌrəʊl/, AU /ˈkæs.əˌrōl/ or /ˈkæs.əˌroːl/ depending on speaker.
Key challenges: 1) The unstressed schwa in the second syllable can blur in quick speech, making the middle sound like missing; 2) The final diphthong /oʊ/ requires rounded lips and a controlled glide from /o/ to /ʊ/ or /ʊl/; 3) The /ˈkæs/ onset blends with the /s/ following, so you must keep alveolar /s/ clearly separate from /æ/; 4) Tension-free lips and tongue for the final /l/ can be hard if you’re tense. Practice isolating each segment: KAS-uh-rohl, then combine with a smooth /roʊl/ or /rəʊl/.
Tip: treat the word as a three-part sequence with a light middle: KAS – uh – rohl. Keep the middle schwa soft and short; don’t attempt a stressed middle. Consciously lengthen the final /l/ slightly for a clear, crisp ending in US speech and avoid turning /roʊl/ into a nasalized vowel. If you’re unsure, say the word slowly in isolation to lock the rhythm, then insert into sentences and adjust tempo.
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- US: rhotic /r/ present; emphasize /roʊl/ with rounded lips. - UK: non-rhotic or weak /r/, /roʊl/ becomes /rəʊl/ with a longer, rounded /əʊ/. - AU: rhotic with subtle vowel quality shifts, similar to US; keep /ə/ and final /l/ crisp. IPA cues: US /ˈkæs.əˌroʊl/, UK /ˈkæs.əˌrəʊl/, AU /ˈkæs.əˌrɔːl/ or /ˈkæs.əˌroːl/ depending on region. - Focus on lip rounding for /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/; ensure the middle is a relaxed schwa regardless of accent.
Casserole comes from French casserole, which originally referred to the wide, deep pan used for cooking casseroles and for the dish itself. The French term derives from casser, closer in older usage to “to reduce” or “to cut down,” with the -ole suffix forming a diminutive or affectionate noun. By the 19th century in English, casseroles described baked dishes prepared in a covered dish, evolving to refer to the dish as a whole and the vessel. Early English cookbooks in the 1800s use “casserole” to denote the pan and the food prepared: a practical, one-dish meal. Over time, the word broadened in American kitchens to include a wide range of baked casserole dishes, from meat-and-noodle combos to vegetarian layers. The pronunciation preserved the French stress pattern and initial /kæs/ cluster, with American usage emphasizing the second syllable and slight vowel reduction in fast speech. First known English attestations appear in culinary texts around the 18th to 19th centuries, reflecting cross-cultural cooking practices and the popularization of one-dish meals in Western cuisine.
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Words that rhyme with "Casserole"
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