English Language & Usage Asked on January 27, 2021
Nougat is a French word, deriving originally from the Latin panis nucatus – (nut bread), one of the principle centres of its manufacture being in Montélimar in Provence – presumably for the almonds, where almost every shop seems to be a confectioners selling little else but nougat.
In Britain we traditionally pronounce it NUGGAT, and many people still do so. However some give it its “correct” French pronunciation of NOO-GA.
Are both forms acceptable in Britain, and how does the rest of the English-speaking diaspora deal with the matter?
British pirate here... Usually I'd say 'Noo-garr'. If this was not being understood I'd probably say 'Noo-gat', or finally, 'Noo-gate'.
If I still was not being understood I'd probably buy some toffee, or a bag of almonds (that's 'Al-monds'...)
For what it's worth, the OED offers two British pronunciations -
/ˈnuːɡɑː/ , /ˈnʌɡᵻt/
And one US
/ˈnuɡət/
Answered by Dan on January 27, 2021
Anyone working in the hotel & hospitality industry in the UK is likely to pronounce it the way the French would say it - with a silent 't'. In the US, the only time I have come across this has been in a French restaurant where nougat glacé is a popular French "ice cream" desert. I have never encountered a non-French pronunciation of this word in the milieu of French restaurants in the US.
Answered by Peter Point on January 27, 2021
In Scotland, Warwickshire and London I have only ever heard it pronounced
/ˈnuːɡɑː/
So I'm unsure why you state that traditionally Brits pronounce it
/ˈnʌɡᵻt/
My assumption is that traditionally we pronounce it the original French way, but there has been some change over time.
Answered by Rory Alsop on January 27, 2021
Having grown up in New Zealand in the 60’s, 70’s and 80s, I've only ever known it pronounced as ‘nuga’ and I’m certainly not from posh beginnings.
Answered by CJB on January 27, 2021
In the U.S., it's generally pronounced NOO-g@t, where @ is some vowel. I am fairly sure I have heard /ɪ/, /ə/, and /ɑ/, and if I believe the comments above, /æ/ is used as well.
The dictionaries say /'nugət/.
And I'm sure some Americans use the French pronunciation (although these would generally be chefs, snobs, or people who know French well).
Some people might be confused by the comments above. The phonetic spelling NEW-g't does not mean /njugət/ but /nugət/. Remember that most Amercians pronounce the word new as /nu/.
Answered by Peter Shor on January 27, 2021
The OED gives Brit. /ˈnuːɡɑː/, /ˈnʌɡᵻt/, U.S. /ˈnuɡət/.
I have heard and said both.
Personal experiences in the UK will definitely be subjective and class-based.
Answered by Greybeard on January 27, 2021
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