2 syllables: Rac, lette. Stress on Rac.
RAK-let
/ˈræk.lɛt/
Raclette is pronounced RAK-let (/ˈræk.lɛt/). It has two syllables (Rac-lette), with the stress on "Rac". Raclette is a French cheese-based dish typically melted over heat and scraped onto accompanying potatoes, bread, or vegetables. The term also refers to the cheese itself and to the dining style in which diners melt the cheese at the table. It is commonly associated with Alpine regions and traditional European cheese shops and restaurants.
nounRaclette is a French cheese-based dish typically melted over heat and scraped onto accompanying potatoes, bread, or vegetables. The term also refers to the cheese itself and to the dining style in which diners melt the cheese at the table. It is commonly associated with Alpine regions and traditional European cheese shops and restaurants.
"We enjoyed a cozy Raclette night, melting wedges of cheese over boiled potatoes and pickles."
"For her birthday, she served Raclette with crusty bread and sautéed mushrooms."
"The restaurant offers a Raclette set, so diners can melt the cheese right at the table."
Pronounce as ra-CLET, with stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /rəˈklɛt/. Start with a schwa /rə/ then a clear /ˈklɛt/; the k is released, the e is a short open vowel /ɛ/, and the final t is crisp. If you’re unsure, think of ‘ro-lay’ with a French dash, but end with a clear T. Audio resources: Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries and Forvo entries provide native variants.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable (RA-clett); pronouncing the final -ette as a long /eɪ/ instead of /ɛ/; dropping the /l/ cluster and saying /ɹæˈket/ or /rəˈlɛt/. Correction: emphasize the second syllable, keep /kl/ cluster together, and use a crisp final /t/. Use IPA cues: /rəˈklɛt/ and practice with minimal pairs like /rəˈklɛt/ vs /rəˈkeɪt/.
US/UK/AU share /rəˈklɛt/, but rhoticity affects vowel coloration before /r/ in some speakers. The French influence keeps a more clipped /e/ in the /ɛ/ vowel; Australians may have slightly broader vowel quality and faster vowel reduction in casual speech. Accent differences mainly center on the rhotic vowel blending and the duration of the /æ/ vs /ɛ/ in comparable words; the key is maintaining the second-syllable /ɛ/ and crisp /t/.
The difficulty lies in the vowel /ɛ/ as in “bet” and the final /t/ in rapid speech, plus the consonant cluster /kl/ after the initial /rə/ syllable. The initial schwa /rə/ can be reduced or mispronounced, and some speakers substitute /l/ with a light /ɹ/ or omit the /l/ altogether. Focus on keeping /əl/ or /kl/ clearly connected before the final /t/.
Raclette features a French-derived stress pattern that places primary stress on the second syllable, /rəˈklɛt/. A sensitive listener will notice the rounded, lightly tense /ɛ/ vowel and crisp /t/. Some speakers may have a subtle liaison or slight vowel length difference when spoken in runs of French loanwords. Maintain the /kl/ cluster and avoid over‑emphasizing the /r/ or the /t/.
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Raclette comes from the French verb racler, meaning to scrape. The cheese named raclette is traditionally heated and scraped (racler) from a wheel onto the diner’s plate, hence the name and method. The dish and term originated in the Alpine regions of Switzerland and France, where cows graze high-altitude pastures and warm ovens or fire grills are used to melt the cheese. The modern dish became popular in Swiss cantons such as Valais, where workers scraped the melted surface onto potatoes, pickles, and bread. Since spreading across Europe, raclette has retained its core meaning: a cheese that is heated and scraped for serving. The word first appears in 19th-century Alpine cookbooks and travel accounts, aligning with the practice of communal, table-side cheese melting. Over time, raclette has evolved into a broader dining style, with specialized appliances and menus worldwide that center the heat-melt-scrape ritual, while the cheese itself continues to bear the same name as the dish.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Raclette" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Raclette" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Raclette"
-let sounds
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