3 syllables: Cla, fou, tis. Stress on fou.
klaf-OO-teez
/klæˈfuːtiːz/
Clafoutis is pronounced klaf-OO-teez (/klæˈfuːtiːz/). It has three syllables (Cla-fou-tis), with the stress on "fou". Clafoutis is a baked French dessert featuring a custard-like batter poured over fruit (traditionally cherries) and baked until set. It is lightly sweet, with a delicate, pudding-like texture and a subtly eggy flavor that complements the fruit. The term denotes both the dish and the batters used to create it, typically served dusted with sugar or powdered fruit.
nounClafoutis is a baked French dessert featuring a custard-like batter poured over fruit (traditionally cherries) and baked until set. It is lightly sweet, with a delicate, pudding-like texture and a subtly eggy flavor that complements the fruit. The term denotes both the dish and the batters used to create it, typically served dusted with sugar or powdered fruit.
- You often mispronounce the initial consonant cluster '/kl/' by inserting a vowel between /k/ and /l/ (e.g., saying 'kla-l' or 'k-laf'). To fix: practice starting with a tight /kl/ blend for 2-3 seconds before moving to /klæ/ or /kla/. - Ending confusion: many say 'claf-out-is' instead of 'claf-oo-TEES' or 'claf-oo-TEEZ'. Practice the long 'ee' sound in -tiːz and finish with a crisp /z/. - Vowel drift: US speakers may reduce 'foo' to a lax /fu/; keep it rounded and longer: /fuː/ to match /fuː/ in 'you'. Practice with minimal pairs to maintain the rounded /uː/ and avoid /ʌ/ or /ə/. - Stress misplacement: place primary stress too early (on 'cla') or on the wrong syllable; ensure the main emphasis sits on the third syllable: kla-foo-TEEZ.
"I tried a traditional clafoutis with black cherries at the bakery this morning."
"The chef demonstrated how to pour the batter evenly over the fruit in a round dish."
"For a lighter version, she used a ramekin and fewer eggs to keep the custard silky."
Pronounce as /kla-foo-TEES/ in US English or /kla-foo-TEE-z/ in UK/AU English, with the emphasis on the third syllable. Start with a hard 'kla' cluster, followed by 'foo' with a rounded lips, and end with a clear 'TEES' (or 'TEE-z' in some accents). The final 's' is voiced in many varieties when the word ends the phrase. IPA guidance: US /kla.fuˈtiːz/; UK /klæ.fuːˈtiːz/ or /kla.fuˈtiːz/ depending on speaker.
Two frequent errors: (1) Stress on the wrong syllable, saying 'CLA-foo-tis' instead of 'clah-foo-TEE with emphasis on the third syllable'; (2) Mispronouncing the final '-outis' as 'wootis' or 'out-us' instead of the 'tiːz' or 'tiːz' sound. Correction tips: place primary stress on the third syllable (tiː), keep 'foo' rounded but short, and end with a crisp 'z' sound; practice repeating slowly: kla-foo-TEEZ (or -TEEZ), then naturally speed up.
In US English, you’ll likely hear /kləˈfuːtiːz/ or /kləˈfjuːtiːz/ with reduced first syllable and primary stress on the third, sometimes ersion to /ˈklæfjuːtiːz/ among some speakers. UK speakers commonly say /klæˈfuːtiːz/ with a clearer 'a' in the first syllable and strong 'tiːz' ending; Australian tends toward /kləˈfuːtiːz/ with less vowel reduction and a mild rhotacism impact. The final 's' is often voiced in connected speech. Have your mouth shaped for /kla/ or /klæ/ and push the stress to the vowel before the final 'tiːz'.
The difficulty comes from the unfamiliar French structure: 'cl' clusters at start, the 'ou' producing a rounded back vowel, and the stress placement on the penultimate/antepenultimate syllable depending on the speaker. The ending -tis/-tiz requires a clear, voiced s fricative, which many learners drop or misplace. The result is mis-stressed, hurried, or mis-phonetically final sounds. Focus on separating 'kla' and 'foo' and ensure the final 'tiːz' is clearly pronounced.
A distinctive feature is the 'claf-' onset with a consonant cluster that causes a slight delay between the /k/ and /l/ sounds. Maintaining a crisp /kl/ start without vowel intrusion helps keep the word natural. The 'ou' creates a rounded back vowel /uː/ and the final /tiːz/ demands a long 'ee' followed by a soft, voiced 'z'. This combination makes the word unmistakably French in many English contexts.
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- US: turn on stronger vowel height in the 'foo' part, avoid reducing it; keep /fuː/ as a long vowel, end with /z/ instead of /s/; IPA: /kləˈfuːtiːz/ or /kləˈfjuːtiːz/. - UK: more precise /klæˈfuːtiːz/ with a fuller first vowel; stress the second-syllable boundary before 'tiːz'; ensure final /z/ is voiced, not a voiceless /s/. - AU: /kləˈfuːtiːz/ with less vowel lengthening and minimal rhotic influence; keep the final /z/ clear; practice with mimed mouth opening similar to /ʤ/ but keep pure /z/.
Clafoutis is a French dessert with roots in the Limousin region. The word derives from the Occitan term 'clafotís' or 'clafoutis' (also spelled clafoutis in some regional dialects), which historically referred to the dish in general. The dish likely originated in the early 19th century, with the batter borrowed from custard or flan-style preparations and fruits such as cherries arranged in a dish and baked. The spelling and pronunciation have evolved to reflect French orthography, and the name has become synonymous with a custard-like batter poured over fruit before baking. First known usage in printed form appears in mid-19th century French cookbooks, cementing clafoutis as a distinct dessert rather than a generic fruit dish. In English-speaking culinary circles, the term was adopted with minimal anglicization, retaining the original French pronunciation, though speakers sometimes stress the second syllable differently in English. Over time, regional adaptations—such as using different fruits or adding almond extract—have broadened the dish beyond the classic cherries, but the core concept of a baked fruit and custard batter remains central to its identity.
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Words that rhyme with "Clafoutis"
-tis sounds
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