Scampi is a plural noun designating a type of large prawn or shrimp, typically prepared in garlic-butter sauce. In culinary usage, “scampi” also refers to dishes cooked in this manner, or to dishes featuring the shrimp itself. The term is often encountered in menus and cookbooks, sometimes used in the plural to denote the dish rather than the individual crustaceans.
"We ordered garlic-scampi linguine for a seafood dinner."
"The restaurant offers shrimp scampi as a classic pasta option."
"She prepared scampi with white wine, lemon, and parsley."
"On the tasting menu, the chef’s signature is a delicate scampi risotto."
Scampi comes from the Italian singular scampo (or scampo, meaning Mr. or Mr. Scampi in regional dialect), but the culinary term “scampi” originally referred to the langoustine (Nephrops norvegicus), known in Italian as scampo or gambero di scampo. In English culinary usage, it shifted to describe a preparation style (shrimp or prawns cooked in garlic butter, with lemon and wine) rather than the crustacean species alone. The plural form in English—scampi—keeps the older Italian plural ending but is used to denote either the dish or the seafood. First attested in English cookery texts in the 19th century as an import from Italian menus, the term gained traction in American cookbooks in the 20th century, where “shrimp scampi” often appears on menus and recipe titles. Over time, “scampi” has been generalized in North American usage to refer to shrimp prepared in the garlic-butter-lemon style, even when the dish is served without the traditional langoustine. The word’s trajectory reflects culinary globalization and anglicization of Italian dish terminology.
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Words that rhyme with "Scampi"
-mpi sounds
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Pronounce it as /ˈskæm.pi/ in US and UK. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Start with an initial /s/ and /k/ blend, move into the short /æ/ vowel as in 'cat', then release with /m/ and a clean /p/ followed by a light /i/ (as in 'see'). An audio reference can help; try listening to native pronunciations on Pronounce or Forvo and mimic the crisp /p/ release before the final /i/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying ‘scam-PI’ with secondary stress on the second syllable) and mispronouncing the first vowel as /e/ or /ɛ/ rather than /æ/. Another frequent issue is turning the final /i/ into /iː/ or /ɪ/ without reducing to a short /i/. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, use a crisp /æ/, and end with a short, unstressed /i/ (like ‘ee’ in ‘see’ but shorter). Always avoid delaying the /p/ so it’s not blended with /i/.
In US and UK, the word is /ˈskæm.pi/ with stress on the first syllable and a short /i/ at the end. In some British regional accents, the final /i/ might be more centralized or reduced slightly, but remains short. Australian speakers generally preserve the short /i/ and stress pattern, though vowel quality can be subtly broader. The main difference across accents is vowel quality and rhoticity of surrounding words, not the scampi core itself.
The challenge lies in the initial consonant cluster /sk/ followed by a short /æ/ before a plosive /m/ and /p/ sequence. The combination can create a fast, closed mouth transition, making the /æ/ and /p/ easy to blur. Also, the final /i/ should be short and not elongated; many learners lengthen it unintentionally. Focus on a crisp /p/ release and a quick, light /i/ to land the word cleanly.
There is no silent letter in the standard pronunciation of 'scampi'; every consonant contributes to the articulation: /s/ + /k/ + /æ/ + /m/ + /p/ + /i/. Some learners notice that the /i/ ending can sound lighter or truncated in natural speech, but it is not silent. The endpoint is a quick, unstressed /i/ sound.
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