Crepes are thin, delicate pancakes typically folded or rolled, often served with sweet or savory fillings. In American English they refer to the dish in general, while in French the term “crêpe” denotes the thin pancake itself. This entry focuses on the plural English usage, including pronunciation nuances and common culinary contexts.
"I ordered crepes with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast."
"She folded the crepes and drizzled lemon juice and sugar over them."
"The crêpes on the menu were light, airy, and beautifully lacy."
"We learned how to make crepes in our French cooking class, then sampled several fillings."
Crepe comes from the French crêpe, from Latin crispa meaning curled or wrinkled, borrowed from old French crepe or crespe. The modern sense, a very thin pancake, emerges in 16th-17th century French cookery, with early written references in culinary dictionaries and traveler’s menus. The English adoption retains the French spelling with the circumflex and the pronunciation /kreɪp/ evolving into /kɹɛps/ in some dialects due to vowel shifts and clitic reductions. The plural crepes gained traction in American usage as a mass noun for the dish or as a countable plural for multiple thin pancakes. The accent marks in French (crêpe) influence English spellings and marketing, especially in menus, where the acute accent signals authenticity even when spoken by English speakers who anglicize the pronunciation. First known use in English appears in cookery texts in the late 19th to early 20th century as French pancakes became a popular Western brunch item, with regional spellings and pronunciations adapting over time.
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Words that rhyme with "Crepes"
-eps sounds
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In general American and UK usage, crepes is pronounced with a short e as /kɹɛps/ or, less commonly, as /ˈkreɪps/ depending on speaker. Stress falls on the first syllable in US contexts when referring to multiple pancakes: /ˈkreɪps/ for some speakers. For non-French contexts, you’ll often hear /kɹɛps/. Mouth position: start with a light /k/ release, then the /ɹ/ is an approximant with the tip near the alveolar ridge, followed by /ɛ/ as in “bet” and end with /ps/ where the lips purse and the tip of the tongue lightly touches the alveolar ridge for the /p/ release before the /s/ sibilant. Audio examples vary by region, but most North American speakers settle on /kɹɛps/.
Common errors include producing /kreɪps/ with a long vowel that sounds like ‘creep’ or ‘craype’ and misplacing the /p/ as an aspirated stop after a breath (saying /kɹeɪʰps/). Another frequent misstep is blending /kr/ with an intrusive schwa: /kɹəɹeps/. Correction: keep the /ɛ/ short and crisp, avoid adding an extra syllable, and ensure the /ps/ cluster is released quickly without an intermediate vowel. Practice by saying /kɹɛps/ in a steady, clipped rhythm: k + r together, then ɛ, followed by p and s without a vowel between them.
In US English you’ll often hear /kɹɛps/ as a short e vowel and a clipped /ps/ ending. In some UK contexts, you might hear /ˈkreɪps/ with a longer diphthong and a stronger initial stress depending on individual speaker and whether they’re anglicizing the French spelling; Australian speakers may use /ˈkreɪps/ or /kɹɛps/ with a non-rhotic accent becoming less distinct in the final /s/. The rhoticity in US accents keeps the /r/ clearly, while UK and AU may reduce the /r/ in non-rhotic positions, but with a preserved /r/ if the speaker uses linking. Listen for the vowel quality in the first syllable; US tends to a produced /ɛ/ or /e/, UK/AU more variable toward /eɪ/ in some speakers.
The challenge lies in the short, crisp vowel and the final /ps/ cluster. The transition from the vowel to a voiceless /p/ release into /s/ requires precise lip sealing and tongue positioning. The /ɹ/ can be tricky for non-rhotic speakers who don’t fully articulate the /r/ when preceding a vowel; for crepes, the /r/ is immediately followed by /ɛ/, so keep the /r/ tongue blade high and avoid an intrusive vowel. Finally, the /p/ is unreleased in some dialects, but with the /s/ you should have a clean release. Practice by isolating the /ɹ/ then move to /ɛ/ and finish with /ps/.
Generally, English speakers treat crepes as a single-syllable noun with the final /s/ as a plural. If speakers emphasize balance in a dish list or French-influenced menu, you may hear a secondary emphasis on the plural form; however, the primary stress remains on the first syllable when broken into two syllables in some speakers’ realization: /ˈkreps/ or /kɹɛps/. The main point is to avoid over-stressing the second consonant cluster; keep it tight and compact. In most everyday usage, crepes is two consonants then a consonant onset with no extra vowel, so primary stress is not heavy.
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