One syllable: glace.
glays
/ɡleɪs/
glace is pronounced glays (/ɡleɪs/). It has one syllable (glace), with the stress on "glace". Glace is a loanword typically used to refer to a fruit- or dessert-related glaze, or in culinary contexts as a glaze or glaze-like coating. In some contexts it also appears as a form of “glace” meaning glassy or shiny, often borrowed from French. The term is sometimes encountered in pastry and frozen-dessert vocabulary, with pronunciation reflecting French influence.
Glace is a loanword typically used to refer to a fruit- or dessert-related glaze, or in culinary contexts as a glaze or glaze-like coating. In some contexts it also appears as a form of “glace” meaning glassy or shiny, often borrowed from French. The term is sometimes encountered in pastry and frozen-dessert vocabulary, with pronunciation reflecting French influence.
- Mispronounce as ‘glass’ with a short /æ/; use a long /eɪ/ instead for /gleɪs/. - Add an extra vowel or syllable (e.g., /ɡlæsiːz/). - Let the /l/ be dark or overemphasized, which can obscure the /eɪ/ glide. - Ignore the final /s/ and voice it as /z/ in connected speech; keep voiceless /s/.
"The chef brushed the pastry with a delicate glace to give it a mirror-like sheen."
"She prepared a fruit glaze (glace) to glaze the tart before serving."
"In French, glace accompanies a dessert as a shiny, glassy coating."
Pronounce as /gleɪs/ (US/UK) with a long a, rhyming with ‘base’ or ‘case.’ The initial consonant is a hard g (as in go), followed by the vowel sound /eɪ/ and the final /s/. The stress is on the first and only syllable. You can imagine saying ‘glace’ like ‘glace’ in ‘glaze’ while keeping the French nuance in mind but defaulting to the English spelling. IPA: /ɡleɪs/.
Common errors include pronouncing it like ‘glass’ with a short /æ/ vowel or misplacing the vowel as /ɪ/ in ‘gliss.’ The correct vowel is /eɪ/ as in ‘face,’ and the final consonant is /s/ rather than a z-like /z/. Be careful not to add extra syllables or confuse with French nasal vowels. Practice by isolating the /eɪ/ diphthong and finishing with a clean /s/ without voicing the final consonant.
In US/UK, /ɡleɪs/ is standard, with the /eɪ/ diphthong and non-rhotic tendencies in some British varieties. Australian English generally keeps /ɡleɪs/ with a bright /eɪ/ and similar /s/ end. Some speakers may slightly reduce the /l/ or blend the /l/ into a light light L. The main difference lies in vowel length and rhoticity; accent shading may affect the perceived vowel quality but the core is /ɡleɪs/ across accents.
The challenge is to produce a clean /eɪ/ diphthong in a one-syllable word and to avoid turning it into /æ/ or /ɛ/ like ‘glace’ or ‘glace-eh.’ The fusion of /l/ and /eɪ/ can create a subtle blend; some learners insert an extra vowel or misplace tongue height, making it sound like /glaceɪ/ or /glæs/. Focus on starting with a clear /g/ then glide into /eɪ/ before ending with /s/ without voicing the final sound.
Glace stands out because it’s a concise, one-syllable French-derived term that preserves a short, crisp onset and a clear diphthong ending in English borrowing. Its vowel /eɪ/ can feel fragile in rapid speech, leading to a truncated /e/ or conflation with /æ/. The final /s/ should be voiceless; you’ll notice a clean hiss rather than a buzzing z. Keeping the tongue cued for a smooth glide helps maintain the intended French-tinged precision.
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- US: keep /eɪ/ crisp; avoid rhotic influence on the final consonant; ensure the word ends with a voiceless /s/. - UK: allow a slightly clipped but clear /eɪ/; some Irish-influenced vowels may color; keep rhoticity non-issuing. - AU: maintain a bright /eɪ/ with a clean end /s/; watch for vowel length differences before voiceless consonants.
Glace derives from the French word glace, meaning ice, mirror, or glaze, from Latin glacem, related to glacies meaning ice. In culinary use, the word entered English via French, carrying senses of a glossy, reflective coating or glaze used on foods, especially pastries and desserts. The French sense of glace as a shiny, glass-like surface informs its cross-linguistic cookery usage, including terms like “glacé” meaning iced or glazed, and phrases describing reflective, mirror-like finishes. The earliest English attestations follow culinary adoption in the 18th–19th centuries as French culinary vocabulary became integrated into haute cuisine discourse. Over time, glace retained its nod to a glossy, glassy coating, distinct from “icing” or “glaze” in common English culinary lexicon, while remaining recognizable due to its French root. In modern usage, glace often appears in pastry recipes and plating notes to denote a polished, shiny finish that enhances appearance and texture, while in some contexts it serves as a general gloss for any glaze or coating. The cross-linguistic resonance with French maintains the pronunciation influence, with /ɡlæs/ or /ɡlaːs/ depending on the speaker and context, but primarily anglicized as /gleɪs/ in many culinary guides.
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Words that rhyme with "glace"
-ace sounds
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