2 syllables: Fon, due. Stress on due.
fahn-DYOO
/fɑnˈdju/
Fondue is pronounced fahn-DYOO (/fɑnˈdju/). It has two syllables (Fon-due), with the stress on "due". Fondue is a melted-cheese or chocolate dish served from a communal pot, in which diners dip bread, fruit, or other bite-sized foods. The term also refers to the pot and the social dining style. Common in Swiss cuisine, fondue emphasizes communal sharing, warmth, and a smooth, velvety texture. It evokes cozy, interactive dining experiences.
nounFondue is a melted-cheese or chocolate dish served from a communal pot, in which diners dip bread, fruit, or other bite-sized foods. The term also refers to the pot and the social dining style. Common in Swiss cuisine, fondue emphasizes communal sharing, warmth, and a smooth, velvety texture. It evokes cozy, interactive dining experiences.
How to Pronounce Fondue
"We shared a pot of cheese fondue and toasted crusty bread."
"For dessert, she prepared chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows."
"In the Swiss Alps, fondue is a beloved winter staple at chalets."
Fondue is pronounced as /ˈfɒn.djuː/ in US and UK English, with the stress on the first syllable: FON-dyew. The second syllable starts with a /d/ followed by a long /juː/ glide, similar to the word 'you'. In some speakers, the final vowel may be less pronounced, giving a more clipped end. Listen for the two-syllable rhythm, with a clear initial consonant and a smooth 'dyoo' ending.
Two common errors are saying /ˈfɔn.dju/ with an American /a/ as in 'lot' and flattening the /juː/ to a simple /uː/ as in 'you'. Another frequent issue is stressing the second syllable or misplacing the /d/ so it blends with the glide. Correct by placing primary stress on FON, keep the /dj/ cluster aligned, and finish with a clear long /juː/ with your lips rounded. Practice with the minimal pair 'fond' vs 'fondue' to hear the contrast.
US and UK share /ˈfɒn.djuː/ with the /ɒ/ (UK) or /ɑ/ (US) vowel in the first syllable and the /djuː/ ending; rhotic differences are minimal here because the ending does not require an /ɹ/ in either accent. Australian speakers typically maintain the same two-syllable structure, but vowel quality can be slightly broader, with /ɒ/ tending toward /ɔː/ in some regions and the /juː/ glide sometimes realized as /ʉː/ in very broad Aussie pronunciation. Overall, the core is stable: FON-dyoo.
The difficulty lies in the /djuː/ sequence, where the tongue glides from a dental /d/ into a high-palatal /j/ before the long /uː/. This creates a consonant-glide blend that can trip speakers, especially if they’re not keeping the /j/ sound distinct from the /uː/ vowel. Additionally, the short, rounded /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ vowel in the first syllable contrasts with the fronted lip rounding for /juː/. Practicing the precise tongue height and lip rounding helps.
The word features a two-syllable rhythm with a strong primary stress on the first syllable, and a soft, smooth second syllable that blends the /n/ with the /d/ so that the sequence sounds like FON-dyoo rather than FON-duh. Ensure the /j/ sound is clearly released before the final /uː/ vowel, avoiding an abrupt cut-off. The transition from /n/ to /dj/ is subtle but essential for naturalness in fluent speech.
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Fondue comes from the French sous-espeaking term fondre, meaning to melt, which reflects the central cooking method of the dish. The word fondue first appeared in the 18th century culinary texts in Switzerland, where cheese was melted with wine and served in a communal pot. The use of the verb fondre in culinary contexts gradually broadened to refer to any melted preparation, but fondue retained its unique association with a social, pot-centered meal. The modern cheese fondue evolved in the Jura and the Alps, incorporating traditional Swiss cheeses and wine, while chocolate fondue emerged later as a dessert variant. In English-language menus and cookbooks, fondue steadily gained popularity in mid-20th-century North American dining, symbolizing convivial, interactive eating and cultured European cuisine. First known use in English literature appears in cooking guides and restaurant menus in the 1960s and 1970s, often capitalizing on the trend of international fondue parties and themed gatherings.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Fondue" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Fondue" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Fondue"
-due sounds
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