Coupé - Pronunciation

Pronunciation

In Europe (including the United Kingdom), the past participle French spelling, coupé, and (mostly in English speaking countries) a modified French pronunciation (/kuːˈpeɪ/ koo-PAY), are used. The stress may be on either the first or second syllable; stressing the first syllable is the more anglicized variant. Most, but not all, speakers of North American English currently use the word coupe (without the acute accent - coupé) and pronounce it as one syllable. This was a gradual change occurring prior to World War II. A North American example of usage is the hot-rodders' term Deuce Coupe ("doos coop") used to refer to a 1932 Ford; this pronunciation is famously used in the Beach Boys' 1963 hit song, Little Deuce Coupe.

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