I was recently on a brief holiday in Spain, where chorizo originates from. I was discussing foods with my friend, who mentioned chorizo. Except she called it “cor-eye-zoh”. Needless to say, I was extremely confused. In an attempt to set her straight, I promptly googled “how to pronounce chorizo”, only to be met with several articles debating this very topic.
And so I decided to do some research and settle this issue once and for all.
#Disclaimer: If you clicked on this article expecting a Spanish person to say “like this” you will be sorely disappointed. I am sorry. I am very much not Spanish.
What even is chorizo?
If you type “what is chorizo” into Google, it defines it as a “spicy, Spanish, pork sausage”. There are two main types of chorizo: one that is Spanish in origin and one that is Mexican in origin. Spanish chorizo, which is generally more easily found in the UK is a dried and cured sausage in a casing that doesn’t need any extra cooking before eating. Mexican chorizo, on the other hand, is more like an uncooked sausage made up of ground meat. To clear up any confusion with this article, I’ve got Spanish chorizo in my head, since it’s the only chorizo I’ve ever eaten.
What are the different pronunciations?
I grew up calling it “chuh-reet-zoh”, and that, alongside “chuh-ree-zoh” seems to be a pretty common way of saying it in the UK. According to Masterchef, both “sho-reez-oh” and “cho-reeth-oh” are viable answers. According to my friend Liv, “cor-eye-zoh” is an acceptable answer.
So how would a Spaniard pronounce it?
According to this article, the best way to decide your pronunciation depends on whether you’re going for the Latin American version or the Spanish. The author suggests that a true Spaniard would say “tchoh-ree-thoh”.
Here’s why: it’s generally accepted that the first two syllables of chorizo are pronounced “cho-ree”. The appearance of the phonetic “u” sound (“chuh-reet-zo”) is largely due to British dialect, rather than mispronunciation. Therefore, the real debate occurs with the third syllable. While in Britain, the letter “z” is pronounced like a harsh “s” (think buzzing bee sound), in Spain, it’s more like a soft “th” (think “Ibiza”).
So how should you pronounce it?
If you’re speaking like a true Spaniard, you should probably pronounce it like “cho-ree-thoh”. However, you might sound like a bit of an idiot if you’re spinning just a singular word with a Spanish accent and nothing else, so in the end, it’s completely up to you.