Tabasco is a noun referring to a brand of hot pepper sauce, as well as the region in Mexico where chili peppers are grown. It can also denote the sauce itself used to flavor foods. The term is commonly used in culinary contexts and in brand or regional discussions, often cited with product names or origin notes.
"I added a few dashes of Tabasco to the eggs for extra heat."
"The Tabasco region is famous for its peppers and tropical climate."
"I prefer Tabasco pepper sauce on my tacos rather than milder sauces."
"We learned about Tabasco during our culinary class and tasted several spicy varieties."
Tabasco traces its name to the Mexican state of Tabasco in southern Mexico. The pepper variety used to make the famous sauce is native to the region; the sauce gained international fame as a bottled product in the 19th and 20th centuries. The brand Tabasco was established in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny in Louisiana, USA, using peppers that ripen to a bright red, producing a vinegar-based sauce with a distinctive tang. The word Tabasco likely derives from the Nahuatl or Mesoamerican linguistic influences common to that region, with early references in Spanish colonial records. Over time, the brand popularized the term beyond regional usage, turning the name into a generic culinary reference for hot sauces produced with Tabasco peppers, vinegar, and salt. The name became associated with a specific heat level and flavor profile (sharp, peppery, vinegary), and remains a globally recognized label in the world of condiments. The first known use of the brand in English-language contexts appears inscriptions and advertisements from the late 1800s, solidifying Tabasco as both a place-origin reference and a branded product identity.
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Words that rhyme with "Tabasco"
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Pronounce it ta-BAH-sko with the stress on the second syllable. In IPA US: təˈbæs.ko, UK: təˈbæs.kəʊ (approx), AU: təˈbæs.kəʊ. Start with a light schwa or /tə/ in the first syllable, then a strong, open front vowel in the second: /æ/ as in “cat,” followed by /s/ and /ko/ ending with a rounded /o/ or /əʊ/ depending on the variant. Practice by repeating “ta-BA-sco” several times, ensuring the middle vowel is crisp and the final /ko/ lands cleanly.
Common mistakes include stressing the first syllable (ta-BA-sco should be on the second), mispronouncing the middle vowel as a long /ɪ/ or /iː/ rather than /æ/, and softening the final /o/ to /ə/ in British practice. Another frequent error is rushing the final /ko/, giving a murky /koʊ/ instead of a clear /ko/. To correct: emphasize the middle /æ/ with a crisp /s/ after it, and finish with a rounded, strong /ko/.
In US English, the pulse centers on the second syllable: ta-BA-sco, with /æ/ as in cat and a clear /ko/ ending. UK English tends to be slightly crisper on the final syllable, sometimes with a less rhotic influence, yielding /təˈbæs.kəʊ/ approximating a /əʊ/ ending. Australian pronunciation is similar to US but may feature a slightly broader, more centralized /ə/ and a more open /ɒ/ in some speakers. Across all accents, the middle /æ/ remains the most salient feature.
The difficulty lies in balancing the strong middle vowel /æ/ with the adjacent consonant cluster /bæs/ and the final consonant /ko/. Many learners misplace stress on the first syllable or flatten the middle vowel, resulting in ta-BA-sko or ta-bac-so. Additionally, the ending /ko/ can trigger confusion with /koʊ/ in some dialects. Focus on a crisp middle vowel and a clean, rounded final /o/ sound to stabilize pronunciation.
A natural question learners ask is whether the final syllable is pronounced with a hard /ko/ or a softer /kəʊ/ in different regions. The standard recognition is /ko/ (US) or /koʊ/ (some UK/AU variants in borrowed terms). The key is to keep the final consonant clear and the vowel rounded; you’ll hear slight regional shifts, but the core is ta-BA-sco with that strong middle vowel.
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