Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

château

/ʃæˈtoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables: chateau
IPA: /ʃæˈtoʊ/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A French castle, fortress, manor house, or large country house.

noun

Any stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle.

noun

An estate where wine is produced and often bottled, especially in Bordeaux.

Example Sentences

"Luisa has reread Sixsmith’s letters a dozen or so times or more in the last day and a half. They disturb her. A university friend of Sixsmith’s, Robert Frobisher, wrote the series in the summer of 1931 during a prolonged stay at a château in Belgium."

Etymology

Originated 1730–40. Unadapted borrowing from French château, from Old French chastel, from Latin castellum. Doublet of cashel, castell, castellum, and castle.

Origin

Source language: Old French

Word Breakdown

Root: chastel, castellum

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ʃæˈtoʊ/
British English: /ˈʃæ.təʊ/

Inflected Forms

châteaus (plural) châteaux (plural) chateau (alternative)

Phrases

Chateau Migraine

Homonyms

chateau

Rhymes With

co. o o' o. y'know ö ô châteaux õ ō gâteau phở

Questions

How do you pronounce château?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʃæˈtoʊ/.
What does château mean?: A French castle, fortress, manor house, or large country house.
Where does château come from?: It is traced to Old French.

How to pronounce château

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “château”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʃæˈtoʊ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “château”.
Repeat and practice — Say “château” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.