Doritos is a brand-name noun referring to a popular brand of seasoned tortilla chips. The term is used as a mass noun in everyday speech and can function as a plural or uncountable noun in marketing or menu contexts. The word carries brand recognition and is typically pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a clipped, final -os ending.
"We opened a bag of Doritos for movie night."
"Are those Doritos Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch?"
"The Doritos aisle was nearly empty after the promo."
"She spilled Doritos on the couch and spent minutes brushing them off."
Doritos originated as a brand name created by the American food company Frito-Lay. The name is widely believed to be a blend of the Spanish word 'dorado' (golden) or the English word 'dor' with the Spanish diminutive suffix '-itos', suggesting small, tasty chips. First introduced in 1966, Doritos rapidly became a flagship snack, with various flavors and regional adaptations. The brand capitalized on the catchy, monosyllabic sound and the easy plural form, which lent itself to slogans and advertising. Over time, Doritos has achieved mass-consumer recognition, often used metonymically to refer to tortilla chips in general, while still remaining a protected brand name. The evolution reflects 1960s marketing trends toward bold, playful product names that are easy to shout and remember, contributing to persistent pronunciation stability across English-speaking regions.
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Help others use "Doritos" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Doritos" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Doritos"
-tos sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as do-RI-tos with primary stress on RI. IPA: US /dəˈriːtoʊs/, UK /dəˈriːtəʊz/, AU /dəˈriːtəʊz/. Start with a schwa-ish 'də', then a strong 'RI' vowel that sounds like 'ree', and finish with a crisp 'tos' where the 'o' is a long 'o' as in 'go' and the final 's' is voiceless. You’ll want to land the stress on the second syllable and keep the final -os light and quick.
Two common errors: (1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (DO-ri-tos) instead of the second (do-RI-tos); (2) Ending with a lax, short -os or dropping the final 's' (e.g., dor-I-toss). Correction: maintain secondary emphasis on the first syllable but make RI clearly stressed, and finish with a crisp, voiceless 's' as in 's' in 'hiss', not a zibilized 'z'.
In US English, primary stress on the second syllable: /dəˈriːtoʊs/. UK often uses /dəˈriːtəʊz/ with a longer British diphthong in the final syllable and a final /z/ or /s/ depending on speaker. Australian typically mirrors US rhythm but with a slightly flatter intonation and a more centralized 'o' in the final syllable: /dəˈriːtəʊz/.
The challenge lies in the mid-second syllable vowel length and the final -tos cluster; many non-native speakers misplace syllable stress or shorten the middle vowel, converting /riː/ to /ri/ or mispronouncing the final /toʊs/ as /tos/. Practice the long 'ee' in RI and keep the final 'tos' clearly enunciated with a short, crisp 't' and voiceless 's'.
Doritos often raises questions about the 'tos' ending and whether to anglicize as -tos or -toss; standard brand pronunciation keeps the final /s/ or /z/ sound consistent with American English. The coda consonant should be voiceless /s/ in most dialects when followed by pause or consonant and /z/ in liaison or rapid speech depending on dialect-specific assimilation.
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