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Why "ballet" sounds different in British English
British English says /ˈbæleɪ/, with the stress on the first syllable and the short "a" of "cat". The second syllable is the "ay" of "day", lighter but still a full vowel, and the final T is silent, as in French.
American English stresses the second syllable: /bæˈleɪ/, which is closer to the French. This is part of a regular pattern. British English tends to move the stress of French loanwords to the front, while American English keeps it at the end: compare British "CAF-ay", "BER-ay" and "BOO-fay" (café, beret, buffet) with American "ca-FAY", "buh-RAY" and "buh-FAY". Debris follows the same rule. Once you hear the pattern, you can apply it to most of these words.
How to say "ballet" like a Brit, step by step
- Stress the first syllable: BAL, with the a of "cat".
- Use a light, clear l.
- Finish with a softer ay. The T is silent.
- Together: BAL-ay, not ba-LAY.
Practise "ballet" in a sentence
- We're taking the children to see the ballet at Christmas.
- She's had ballet lessons since she was four.
- The Royal Ballet are performing Swan Lake this season.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce ballet in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, ballet is pronounced /ˈbæleɪ/, roughly "BAL-ay". Stress the first syllable and keep the T silent: "BAL-ay".
Is the American pronunciation of ballet wrong?
No. /bæˈleɪ/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈbæleɪ/.