Restaurant can be pronounced differently, which makes it even harder to remember the spelling. The following sentence rhymes:
I don’t want to go to the restaurant.
In mostly Standard British English it is /ˈrestrɒnt/(so with no syllable between “t” and “r,” and short “o” afterwards), whereas many American speakers pronounce it as /ˈrest(ə)rɑːnt/ (so with or without this additional syllable, and a long “ah” afterwards).
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Why Is the Spelling of “Restaurant” Unclear?
The word is a French loan word, coming from “restaurer” (English: provide food for). It has entered the English language in the early 19th Century. Several Italian food places carry the name of “ristorante,” so that the confusion is even bigger.
Are There Any Collocations or Synonyms for “Restaurant”?
The word appears frequently with the following expressions (collocations):
Self-service
fast-food
chain
(Nationalities like) Italian, Chinese, etc.
Synonyms
(Alternative words)
Example Sentences
Café
We were having lunch at a nice restaurant (café).
Eating place
Let’s go to our favorite restaurant (eating place).
Eating house
I am the new owner of three famous restaurants (eating houses) now.
How to Remember the Spelling of “Restaurant”
You have three options to remember the unusual spelling of the foreign word.
Remember the original French pronunciation. Later on, you can also memorize its unique spelling.
Use LanguageTool as your writing assistant. It detects typos and offers precise alternatives among other features.
Think of this sentence: The waiter in the restaurant had a beautiful aura.
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Writing is simply in his blood! After finishing high school, Marvin first traveled to South America before studying English and Spanish linguistics in Augsburg. After graduating, this native of northern Germany returned to the north—this time not to Hanover, but to Hamburg. When he's not questioning German spelling rules, he's probably on Netflix, using Babbel, or traveling abroad. But his greatest passion is writing. Was that mentioned already?
