HOW TO PRONOUNCE
The 17 wine words people mangle most — ranked roughly hardest-first, then said in plain English with the stressed syllable in CAPITALS. Nail these and the wine list holds no more surprises.
THE SHORT VERSION
Gewürztraminer tops the list — say it “guh-VOORTS-trah-mee-ner”.
17 words ranked · up to 5 syllables · 7 with an accented letter
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Ordered roughly by how far the spelling drifts from the sound — syllables plus accented letters. Tap any word for a syllable-by-syllable breakdown.
Each entry shows a plain-English respelling with the emphasised syllable in CAPITALS — no phonetic alphabet to decode. These are the widely-taught pronunciations an English speaker will be understood using; native French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Portuguese pronunciations vary, and stress is approximate. When in doubt, lean on the emphasised syllable and you'll be close. The ranking is a rough guide, not a scoreboard. Last reviewed 2026-09-22.
Scared of getting it wrong?
Don't be. Even sommeliers disagree on native versus anglicised readings, and staff will know what you mean either way. Lean on the CAPITALISED syllable, and you'll be understood — confidence beats perfection.
Want the whole guide, not just the hard ones?
The full pronunciation guide covers 40+ grape, region, and cellar words — searchable, and grouped by the language each comes from.
Gewürztraminer tops the list — it's said "guh-VOORTS-trah-mee-ner", with the emphasis on "VOORTS". An aromatic, lychee-and-rose white — the classic wine-list tongue-twister.
This guide ranks the 17 wine words that trip people up most — grape names, regions, and cellar terms whose spelling doesn't map onto the sounds. Each shows a plain-English respelling with the stressed syllable in CAPITALS.
Roughly, by how far the spelling drifts from the sound: the number of syllables plus any accented letters an English speaker has no key for. It's a rough guide, not a scoreboard — difficulty and stress are approximate.
Not really — staff and friends will know what you mean, and even wine professionals disagree on native versus anglicised readings. These respellings are simply the versions you'll be understood using; confidence beats perfection. Lean on the CAPITALISED syllable and you'll be close.
Know what to open tonight — and never miss a wine at its peak.
Add the bottles you're curious about and Saignée keeps your cellar, tracks each wine's drinking window, and helps you pair from what you own. Free Taster: up to 100 bottles — no card.
Free Taster: up to 100 bottles · 20 AI scans · 10 pairings / month
Free forever · No credit card