2 syllables: Mer, ingue. Stress on ingue.
muh-RANG
/məˈræŋ/
Meringue is pronounced muh-RANG (/məˈræŋ/). It has two syllables (Mer-ingue), with the stress on "ingue". Meringue is a light, crisp, egg-white-based confection that is often sweetened and baked or whipped to soft or stiff peaks. In desserts, it ranges from airy pillows to glossy toppings, and its texture varies from chewy to crunchy. The term also refers to a French-origin dessert technique and can describe a foamy, airy mixture used in cakes and pies.
nounMeringue is a light, crisp, egg-white-based confection that is often sweetened and baked or whipped to soft or stiff peaks. In desserts, it ranges from airy pillows to glossy toppings, and its texture varies from chewy to crunchy. The term also refers to a French-origin dessert technique and can describe a foamy, airy mixture used in cakes and pies.
"I topped the lemon tart with a snowy meringue that toasted to a golden brown."
"The meringue was beaten to stiff peaks and folded into the meringue-based dessert batter."
"She piped delicate meringue shells and baked them until crisp."
In standard English, pronounce it as /məˈræŋ/ (US) or /məˈrɒŋ/ (UK). The stress sits on the second syllable: mə- RANG. The final -e is not pronounced; the last sound is the velar nasal /ŋ/ as in 'sing.' Mouth position: start with a relaxed schwa, lift the middle of the tongue for the /ɹ/ quality, then close with the velar nasal /ŋ/. Listen for the silent e but don’t voice it. An audio reference would confirm the subtle vowel shift in different dialects.
Common mistakes include adding an /iː/ or a full /eɪ/ at the end (mer-ing-oo) and pronouncing the second syllable with an open /æ/ as in 'man.' Correct this by using a short, tense /ɒ/ or /ɒŋ/ depending on the accent, and keep the final /ŋ/. Also avoid pronouncing the word as ‘mer-in-ju’ or ‘mer-ain’ by ensuring the final sound is the nasal /ŋ/ with no extra vowel after the /ŋ/.
In US English, /məˈræŋ/ with a rhotic initial /r/ and a clear /æ/ in the second syllable, ending with /ŋ/. UK English typically uses /məˈrɒŋ/ with a shorter, backer vowel in the second syllable and non-rhoticity in some dialects; the /r/ may be less pronounced. Australian English often falls between, with /məˈrɪŋ/ or /məˈræŋ/ depending on speaker and region, but generally keeps the final /ŋ/ and second-syllable vowel closer to /ɒ/ or /ɪ/. Paying attention to the rhoticity and the second syllable vowel can improve cross-dialect accuracy.
The difficulty comes from the stressed second syllable and the final /ŋ/ plus the 'er' vowel quality in the first syllable. The /ə/ (schwa) in the first syllable is quick and non-stressful, which many learners neglect, leading to mis-timed syllables. The second syllable contains the vowel that changes across dialects: /æ/ (US), /ɒ/ (UK), or /ɪ/ (AU). The soft 'er' quality can merge with adjacent sounds, making it easy to say mer-ing instead of me-RANG. Practice careful segmentation and nasal closure for accuracy.
Is the final 'e' truly silent in everyday speech, or does some speakers voice a subtle /ɪ/ or /ə/? Answer: In standard and most dialects, the final -e is silent; the word ends with the velar nasal /ŋ/. Some speakers, especially before a following word starting with a vowel, may voice a light schwa before the nasal due to connected speech, but this is not phonemic and usually not noticeable. Focus on the clean /ŋ/ ending for clarity.
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Meringue traces its origin to the French term meringue, which appears in 17th-century culinary texts. The word’s precise etymology is debated, with theories linking it to the Swiss city of Merengue or to the late medieval Latin merere, meaning to deserve or merit, though these connections are speculative. The earliest English recipes for meringue appear in the late 17th century, often described as a “meringue” or “meringe.” The technique likely evolved alongside the expansion of sugar refinement and egg-whites’ stabilization properties, enabling a foamy, aerated texture. By the 18th and 19th centuries, meringue had become a staple in European patisserie and American desserts, with regional variants such as the French-style baked meringues and the Italian sotto-ventuno (Italian meringue) being adopted into multiregional baking repertoires. The word’s pronunciation solidified in English as /məˈræŋ/ (US/UK) to reflect the soft “mer” onset and the nasalized final “ing” or “e” in older spellings, though the final -e in spelling often becomes silent in modern usage. First known uses in printed English appear around the late 1600s, consistent with the popularization of egg-white foams in patisserie and dessert making across Europe and later globally. Today, meringue exists in both baked forms (meringue cookies, pavlova shells) and uncooked foams (stiff peaks whipped in sugar syrup), with the term maintaining its French-root spelling and pronunciation in many culinary contexts, even as regional pronunciations adapt to English dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Meringue" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Meringue"
-ing sounds
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