2 syllables: Cour, gette. Stress on Cour.
KAWR-jet
/ˈkɔɹdʒɛt/
Courgette is pronounced KAWR-jet (/ˈkɔɹdʒɛt/). It has two syllables (Cour-gette), with the stress on "Cour". Courgette is a long, smooth-skinned zucchini used as a green vegetable. Commonly cooked and eaten fresh in various cuisines, it ranges from petite to large and can be stuffed, sautéed, or grilled. The term is used primarily in British English and many other Commonwealth varieties rather than American usage.
nounCourgette is a long, smooth-skinned zucchini used as a green vegetable. Commonly cooked and eaten fresh in various cuisines, it ranges from petite to large and can be stuffed, sautéed, or grilled. The term is used primarily in British English and many other Commonwealth varieties rather than American usage.
How to Pronounce Courgette
"In the market, I bought a bunch of fresh courgettes for ratatouille."
"She sliced the courgette into thin coins and sautéed them with garlic."
"A classic Mediterranean dish uses stuffed courgettes baked with tomato and herbs."
Pronounce as /ˈkɔːr.ʒət/ in US and /ˈkɔːr.ʒet/ in UK/AU. The first syllable bears primary stress, with the rhotacized 'r' in US accents. The middle sound is the French-influenced /ʒ/ (as in measure), and the final syllable roughly rhymes with ‘jet’ or ‘et’ depending on accent. You can think of it as COUR-zhet. Listen to native speakers via Pronounce or Forvo for regional nuance.
Common errors: (1) Misplacing the /ʒ/ as an English /ʒ/ in ‘measure’ with a more fronted tongue position; (2) pronouncing the final /t/ too strongly or as a hard /d/ in sugar-like contexts; (3) thinking the second syllable is a clear /et/ rather than a lax /ət/ or /et/ depending on accent. Correction: keep the /ʒ/ sound central, end with a soft, almost vowel-like /ət/ or /et/ depending on region, and don’t overemphasize the final consonant in casual speech. Practicing with minimal pairs helps fix the last sound alignment.
US: /ˈkɔːr.ɡət/ or /ˈkɔr.dʒet/? Many speakers use a simpler /ˈkɔːrdʒət/, avoiding the French /ʒ/ cluster. UK/AU: /ˈkɔːr.ʒet/ with a clearer /ʒ/ and sometimes a two-syllable rhythm COUR-zet. Australian tends to be non-rhotic like UK but with broader vowel qualities. The key differences are vowel length and the central /ʒ/ positioning; rhotics are pronounced in US but not in UK/AU, which affects the preceding vowel quality and the overall rhythm.
Because of the French-influenced /ʒ/ sound and the potential final /t/ or /t/ vs /ɪt/ variation; ambiguous vowel length in the first syllable and the subtle vowel quality in the second syllable, which differs by region. Learners often substitute a /d͡ʒ/ or /dʒ/ or simplify the ending, which breaks natural pronunciation. Practicing the precise /ʒ/ articulation and stress pattern helps overcome these challenges.
The middle /ʒ/ sound is a francophone remnant that’s uncommon in many English words; ensuring you produce a rounded, central tongue position to produce /ʒ/ rather than a /ʒə/ or /dʒ/ is crucial. This word also demonstrates subtle vowel rounding between /ɔː/ and /ɔːr/ depending on accent. Focusing on the transition from the rounded back vowel to the voiced postalveolar fricative is key to natural-sounding speech.
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Courgette comes from the French word courgette, a diminutive of courge meaning “gourd” or “squash.” The English adoption occurred in Britain during the 20th century, reflecting culinary borrowing from French cuisine. The term first appeared in English cooking contexts around the early 20th century, aligning with other culinary imports from Europe. Over time, courgette became the standard term in British English, distinct from the American zucchini. The word’s evolution mirrors shifts in dietary habits and global food exchange, with the name maintaining a French root while entering English-Dominant culinary lexicon. Its usage expanded as more recipes and markets adopted European vegetables, cementing its place in modern cookery, grocery labeling, and menus across the UK and Commonwealth nations. The semantic shift from a generic “gourd” concept to a specific edible pale-green summer squash is reflected in dictionaries as a colorless, vegetable-specific term, often linked to dishes and cooking methods unique to European-inspired cuisines.
💡 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 "Courgette" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Courgette"
-tte sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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