One syllable: Crème De Menthe.
KREM-duh-maht
/ˈkrɛm də mɑ̃t/
Crème De Menthe is pronounced KREM-duh-maht (/ˈkrɛm də mɑ̃t/). It has one syllable (Crème De Menthe), with the stress on "Crème De Menthe". As a noun, a French herbal liqueur name literally meaning “cream of mint.” Used as a noun to describe the mint-flavored crème de menthe liqueur, usually pale green, sometimes dark green, and enjoyed in cocktails or as a digestif. In culinary contexts it can reference the liqueur itself or flavoring for desserts. The term combines two French elements, guiding its pronunciation in loanword form.
nounA French herbal liqueur name literally meaning “cream of mint.” Used as a noun to describe the mint-flavored crème de menthe liqueur, usually pale green, sometimes dark green, and enjoyed in cocktails or as a digestif. In culinary contexts it can reference the liqueur itself or flavoring for desserts. The term combines two French elements, guiding its pronunciation in loanword form.
"I added a splash of crème de menthe to the chocolate mousse for a fresh minty finish."
"The bartender drizzled crème de menthe around the rim of the glass for garnish."
"She prefers a cocktails with crème de menthe rather than a mint syrup."
In US/UK/AU, say three stressed syllables: /ˈkrɛm/ “krehm” followed by /də/ soft, then /mɛnθ/ “menth.” The main emphasis is on first syllable crème. Tip: keep the first vowel short like “bet” and finish with a soft dental fricative /θ/. Listen for a clean alveolar stop transition between /d/ and /ə/ and a crisp dental /θ/ at the end. For audio reference, imagine a slow, precise articulation of the French phrase with slight Anglicization of the final /θ/.
Common errors include replacing /krɛm/ with /krɛ/ or misplacing stress by saying /ˈkrɛm dɪ mɛnθ/ or mispronouncing /mɛnθ/ as /mɛnθs/ or /mɛnˌti/. Another frequent pitfall is softening /θ/ to /f/ or dropping the /də/ and running /mənt/ together as /mən/. Correct it by isolating each word: /ˈkrɛm/ (short e as in “bet”), /də/ (unstressed schwa), /mɛnθ/ (te mouth to the final dental fricative).
US and UK share /ˈkrɛm də mɛnθ/ with a crisp /θ/; US tends to a slightly tensed /æ/ in the first vowel and a more rhotic flossing on the /ɚ/ in other phrases, while UK avoids rhotics in non-rhotic positions. Australian speakers usually maintain /ˈkrɛm də mɛnθ/ but with more dental articulation of /θ/ and a smoother, more clipped /də/ due to faster tempo. Overall, the final /θ/ is typically retained in all three, but vowel quality and rhythm vary with accent and pace.
The difficulty lies in the French nasal and dental sounds and the compound structure. Specifically, you must execute the French-inspired /krɛm/ with a short /e/ while transitioning to the unstressed /də/ and finishing with the dental /θ/. Maintaining the correct mouth positions for /m/ before a dental fricative /θ/ requires precise tongue placement and jaw relaxation. These three segments must flow smoothly to avoid an over-emphasis on any single syllable.
A distinctive feature is the final /θ/ in menthe. In careful speech, you place the tongue tip near the upper teeth and let air pass through, producing a clear dental fricative without voicing. This contrasts with many English words ending in /t/ or /θ/ that lead to a softer or slurred ending in casual speech. You’ll often hear slight smoothing in rapid speech, but precise enunciation shows linguistic awareness of the French-derived term.
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The term is a French loanword used in English, combining crème (French for “cream,” often used to denote a creamy texture or liqueur) and de menthe (French for “of mint”). Its adoption into English dates to the 19th century culinary and bartending vocabulary, reflecting a long-standing European tradition of naming liqueurs by flavor. Crème de menthe originally signified a mint-flavored cream liqueur, though most commercial versions are clear, pale green, or dark green, consistent with bright mint hues and food coloring. The first syllable stresses the French pronunciation with a silent final e in crème, while menthe follows the French nasal vowel pattern. Over time, English usage preserved the phrase as a compound noun used in recipes and bar menus, while the spelling often preserves the diacritics to signal the French origin. In modern usage, the phrase is treated as a fixed noun in cocktails (e.g., Grasshopper) and in dessert contexts, with regional variation in anglicized pronunciation and stress. The historical shift reflects broader trends of French culinary terms becoming standard in English gastronomy, maintaining the accentual patterns of French while adapting to global English pronunciation norms.
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Words that rhyme with "Crème De Menthe"
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