3 syllables: ju, li, enne. Stress on ju.
JOO-lee-en
/ˈdʒuːliɛn/
julienne is pronounced JOO-lee-en (/ˈdʒuːliɛn/). It has three syllables (ju-li-enne), with the stress on "ju". Julienne refers to a culinary knife-cutting technique that produces thin, matchstick-like strips. The term also denotes the strips themselves, typically 1–2 mm thick and 3–4 cm long, used for vegetables like carrots and zucchini. In professional kitchens, julienned pieces are valued for uniform size and quick, even cooking, and the word often appears in French-influenced recipes and menus.
Julienne refers to a culinary knife-cutting technique that produces thin, matchstick-like strips. The term also denotes the strips themselves, typically 1–2 mm thick and 3–4 cm long, used for vegetables like carrots and zucchini. In professional kitchens, julienned pieces are valued for uniform size and quick, even cooking, and the word often appears in French-influenced recipes and menus.
- Be mindful of the three-syllable rhythm: JU-li-EN. Common missteps include stressing the wrong syllable (ju-LIEN) and merging the middle vowel with the final consonant, producing ju-lien. - To fix, practice saying each syllable slowly, then gradually blend, ensuring the final /ɛn/ is crisp and not muted. - Another frequent error is pronouncing the initial /dʒ/ as a hard 'j' sound or as 'zh', which changes the word’s identity. Practice with minimal pairs like judge/yoo to gain control over the /dʒ/ onset. - Tip: record yourself and compare to native speakers; use minimal pairs and rhythm drills; mouth position imagery helps: lips lightly rounded for /uː/ then relax to front vowel for /i/.
"The carrots were julienned to ensure even cooking in the stir-fry."
"She julienned the cucumber for a delicate garnish."
"The chef demonstrated how to julienne peppers for the salad."
Pronounce as ju-lee-EN with stress on the final syllable: /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/. Start with a soft ’j’ plus ‘u’ as in cube, then a light ‘lee’ vowel, and end with a clear ‘en’ like in 'open' but clipped. IPA: US /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/, UK /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/. Mouth: lips neutral, tongue high for ‘u’, then front of the mouth for ‘li’, finish with a lax open ‘ɛn’.
Two frequent errors: 1) Stress misplacement, saying ju-LIEN rather than ju-li-EN. Fix: keep primary stress on the final syllable and practice a brief pause before the last syllable. 2) Slurring the middle 'li' into the 'ju', producing ju-lien or ju-lyen. Practice by isolating 'ju' + 'li' with a clean consonant boundary, then add the final ‘en’. Correct tempo helps: ju-li-EN.
US and UK share /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/ with primary stress on the last syllable; AU generally mirrors this but can have a slightly more flapped or quicker second syllable. In some non-native pronunciations, the final -enne may be softened to /ɛn/ or reduced to /ən/. Accent differences are subtle; the main distinction is vowel quality: US often maintains a full /uː/ in 'ju', UK may resemble 'joo' with crisp syllable separation, and AU tends toward a more relaxed vowel duration in the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the French-derived final -enne and the three-syllable structure with a stress shift to the end. Learners must produce a clear /ˈɛn/ or /ˈɛn/ ending and ensure the middle /li/ is separate from the initial /dʒuː/. Additionally, the initial /dʒ/ and the rounded /uː/ sequence can be tricky for non-native speakers, requiring precise tongue positioning and lip rounding to avoid blending.
In standard English and French culinary usage, -enne in julienne is pronounced as /ɛn/ or a near equivalent in most varieties, yielding ju-li-EN. Some speakers may reduce to /ən/ in rapid speech, but that reduces clarity. For precise enunciation, keep the final vowel short and crisp: /ɛn/. Pay attention to the alveolar nasal in /ɛn/ and avoid elongating the final sound.
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- US: keep rhoticity subtle; the /r/ is not pronounced in julienne, but note the rhythm: /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/. - UK: emphasize syllable boundaries; crisp /li/ and final /ɛn/; ensure non-rhotic pronunciation, same as US in this word, but some speakers may slightly reduce the first syllable. - AU: similar to US/UK, but often with slightly shorter vowels and faster tempo; maintain clear /ˈɛn/ ending. - Vowel notes: /uː/ is a long, close back rounded vowel; /i/ as a short high front vowel; /ɛ/ as a short open-mid vowel. - IPA references: US /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/, UK /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/, AU /ˌdʒuː.liˈɛn/.
Julienne comes from the French verb julienner, meaning to cut into slender strips. The culinary term likely derives from the name Julien, a French personal name, possibly linked to a style associated with a chef or region. The word entered English culinary usage in the 19th or early 20th century as French cooking terminology became common in professional kitchens and cookbooks. Its sense expanded from describing a method to also naming the resulting strips (the julienne). In French, julienne is both a verb (to julienne) and a noun (the julienne strips). The consonant cluster in English preserves the soft French nasal and liquid sounds, and the final -enne ending mirrors the French feminine noun ending, contributing to the word’s poised, refined culinary aura.
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Words that rhyme with "julienne"
-ien sounds
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