2 syllables: Noy, au. Stress on au.
nwa-OH
/nwaˈo/
Noyau is pronounced nwa-OH (/nwaˈo/). It has two syllables (Noy-au), with the stress on "au". Noyau is a masculineFrench noun meaning the core, kernel, or nucleus of something, or in culinary terms a core piece such as the heart of a fruit or a central part of a dish. It can also refer to an inner pit or stone. The word is used in specialized, often technical or literary contexts. Pronunciation is not Anglophone and will feel foreign to English speakers.
nounNoyau is a masculineFrench noun meaning the core, kernel, or nucleus of something, or in culinary terms a core piece such as the heart of a fruit or a central part of a dish. It can also refer to an inner pit or stone. The word is used in specialized, often technical or literary contexts. Pronunciation is not Anglophone and will feel foreign to English speakers.
How to Pronounce Noyau
"The noyau of la pomme était difficile à atteindre sans une cuillère adaptée."
"Dans ce livre, l’auteur explore le noyau dramatique de la question."
"Le noyau des fruits comme la prune peut être amer si on le mâche."
Pronounce noyau as /nwa.ɥo/? Wait: in standard French, noyau is /nwa. o? Let's correct: French /nwa.o/ or /nwa.zo/? The standard is two syllables: /nwa.o/; the final 'u' in French is typically /u/ but here it's -au representing /o/ as in
Common mistakes: treating it as English 'no-yow' or 'noe-ow'. The correct is two syllables: /nwa.o/ with /wa/ as in 'water' but with rounded lips, and the final /o/ is a closed back vowel. Emphasize the /n/ nasal preceding /wa/ and keep the lip rounding consistent.
In French, no rhoticity, final syllable /o/; similar across France, Belgium, Canada; English influenced accents may insert a schwa-like link or stress differently; keep /nwa.o/; no added /r/.
Because the sequence /wa/ requires rounded lips and fast glide into the closed/rounded final /o/, the nasal /n/ can slightly nasalize the preceding vowel, and many learners misplace the stress; you must keep two clear syllables and avoid anglicized 'noi-yo'.
Noyau ends with a pure French vowel /o/ following a non-sibilant consonant sequence; the /wa/ sound is a diphthong-like glide; keep the tongue forward and lips rounded for the /wa/.
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Noyau vient du français noyau, probablement apparenté au latin nucarium, ou petitNoix? L’étymologie est un peu obscure, mais on croit que noyau est une métaphore du noyau d’un fruit, cœur, cœur véritable, centre. Le mot s’inscrit dans un groupe de termes relatifs au cœur ou au noyau, et il s’emploie de façon technique dans la biologie, la botanique et la géologie, ainsi que dans la cuisine pour désigner le cœur du fruit et son noyau. L’usage est attesté dans la littérature et les traités techniques du XVIIe siècle et s’est perpétué en français moderne. Dans certains détours, noyau peut être utilisé comme métaphore de l’essentiel, de l’élément central d’un problème ou d’un système. Aujourd’hui, noyau est un terme relativement spécialisé mais reconnu dans des contextes culinaires, scientifiques et littéraires; la prononciation demeure fidèle au français standard, avec une voyelle ouverte en /wa/ et le /j/ dans l’attaque de la syllabe finale, et le 'n' nasal qui influence légèrement la voyelle précédente.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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Words that rhyme with "Noyau"
-roi sounds
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