3 syllables: Chi, noi, se. Stress on noi.
sheen-WUHZ
/ʃiˈnwəz/
Chinoise is pronounced sheen-WUHZ (/ʃiˈnwəz/). It has three syllables (Chi-noi-se), with the stress on "noi". Chinoise is a feminine noun borrowed from French, referring to a Chinese woman or, in culinary contexts, to a style associated with Chinese cuisine. It is pronounced with a light, clipped first syllable and a soft final vowel, and carries a distinctly French-influenced cadence in English usage. The term appears in fashion, cuisine, and cultural discussions, often as a descriptor rather than a role title.
nounChinoise is a feminine noun borrowed from French, referring to a Chinese woman or, in culinary contexts, to a style associated with Chinese cuisine. It is pronounced with a light, clipped first syllable and a soft final vowel, and carries a distinctly French-influenced cadence in English usage. The term appears in fashion, cuisine, and cultural discussions, often as a descriptor rather than a role title.
- Common challenge: pronouncing the initial /ʃ/ clearly without adding extra lip rounding; correct by ensuring a taut, slightly spread lip position and a gentle breath flow. - Challenge: the /nw/ sequence can collapse; practice by saying 'new' and then adding a quick /w/ to form /nw/ without adding an extra vowel. - Final /z/ can become /s/ or /ɪz/; focus on voicing and placing the tongue near the alveolar ridge.
How to Pronounce Chinoise
"The menu described the dumpling as a delicate Chinoise filling, with subtle spice."
"A table setting featured a neckpiece with a delicate, Chinoise-inspired pattern."
"In the documentary, the stylist explained a Chinoise influence on the garment's drape."
Pronounce as shih-NWAHZ in standard English adaptation, with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US ʃɪˈnwɑːz, UK ʃɪˈnwɔːz, AU ʃɪˈ nwɒz. Start with a light sh- onset, move to a clear nasal vowel in the second syllable, and finish with a voiced s.”
Common errors: treating ch- as a hard English ch as in chair, pronouncing the second syllable as -ois as in noise; misplacing the stress, saying chi-NOIZ or chi-NOISE. Correction: start with an initial voiceless palato-alveolar fricative /ʃ/; ensure the second syllable carries primary stress and uses an open back rounded vowel /ɑː/ or /ɔː/ depending on accent, ending with /z/. Practice minimal pairs to fix the /ɪ/ vs /ɪə/ glide and the /w/ transition into /æ/ or /ɑː/ depending on your accent.
US: /ʃɪˈnwɑːz/ with a clearer /ɑː/ in the second syllable. UK: /ʃɪˈnwɔːz/ with a more rounded open-mid back vowel; AU: /ʃɪˈnwaːz/ similar to US but with broader vowel length and less rhotic influence. Emphasis remains on the second syllable in all. The /w/ is pronounced lightly; avoid turning it into a separate syllable.
The difficulty lies in the combination /ʃɪ/ leading to a rapid onset, the /nw/ cluster that follows, and the French influence on the vowel length of the final syllable. English speakers may default to a diphthong in the second syllable or misplace the stress, while non‑French speakers might mispronounce the final -oise as -ois or -oise. Focus on the /ʃ/ sound, then glide into /nw/ without inserting an extra vowel, and sustain the final voiceless z.
The unique feature is the transition from the /n/ to /w/ in the second syllable, forming the /nw/ cluster, which is relatively uncommon in English. You also need to maintain a light touch on the final /z/ rather than a voiced 's' or a tense final vowel. Keep the second syllable shorter than the first in many dialects, but ensure the primary stress is clearly on the second syllable for natural rhythm.
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- US: vowels tend to be lax; keep /æ/ or /ɑː/ in the second syllable depending on region; rhotics are non-issue here since /ɹ/ is not present. - UK: more rounded back vowel in second syllable; non-rhoticity may influence the vowel length. - AU: broader vowel quality; lengthened final /z/ with a slightly open mouth posture, but do not overly pronounce the vowel in the first syllable.
Chinoise comes from French chinoise, feminine form of chinois meaning ‘Chinese’ or ‘Chinese woman’ and derived from the Old French chongnes or chosin, ultimately linked to Latin Siniticus via Middle French. The term began entering English culinary and fashion lexicons in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often used to describe items with a Chinese aesthetic or origin. The root word chinois itself means ‘Chinese’ and also refers to a conical sieve in English, which reflects separate semantic pathways though sharing the French pronunciation. In modern usage, Chinoise frequently appears in phrases denoting stylistic influence rather than ethnic identity, and it is often encountered in haute cuisine and fashion discourse as a borrowed descriptor with a distinctly French phonology that English speakers adapt with varying degrees of anglicization.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Chinoise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Chinoise" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Chinoise"
-ise sounds
-ice sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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