Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

couscous

/ˈkus.kus/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.60 in modern English

Syllables
cous-cous
IPA
/ˈkus.kus/
12
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from French couscous, from Arabic كُسْكُس (kuskus), from a Berber language. First use appears c. 1593.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: couscous, كُسْكُس

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkus.kus/
  • British English: /ˈkʊs.kʊs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

couscouses (plural) cuscousou (alternative, dated) cuscusu (alternative, dated)

Derived Forms

couscoussier

Phrases

Israeli couscous pearl couscous pearled couscous

Questions

How do you pronounce couscous?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkus.kus/.
What does couscous mean?
A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.
Where does couscous come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce couscous

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