How to pronounce "risque" in English
rɪˈskeɪ
rih·SKAY
Primary stress: SKAY
Hear native speakers say risque in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “risque”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
rih
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
SKAY
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("SKAY"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "risque" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“risque or even outrage ious for the young bomber and fighter Crews these artworks offer a break from”— Smithsonian ChannelWatch clip
“There were also risque or anarchic elements that showed up in early film that I want you see.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“less risque than what you can see on prime time TV now right I mean it was”— StanfordWatch clip
“Risque as preocupações que já se foram.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“At this point, Onna-Kabuki was often risque as geishas performed not only to show off their singing and dancing abilities but also to advertise their bodies to potential clients.”— TED-EdWatch clip
“The present Confederation with all its inconveniences is preferable to the risque of general dissentions & animosities, which may approach to Anarchy”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
Practice Speaking “risque”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
risque or even outrage ious for the young bomber and fighter Crews these artworks offer a break from
Hear it in context: “risque”
55 clipsThe English word “risque” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as rɪˈskeɪ (phonetic respelling: rih-SKAY). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (rih · SKAY), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (SKAY). Grammatically, “risque” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 55 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “risque” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from Smithsonian Channel, MIT OpenCourseWare, Stanford.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USSmithsonian ChannelClip #1 · @0:58
“small and the art can be humorous risque or even outrage ious for the young bomber and fighter Crews these artworks offer a break from ious for the young bomber and fighter Crews these artworks offer a break from”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #2 · @24:31
“Can we do that? There were also risque or anarchic elements that showed up in early film that I want you see. that showed up in early film that I want you see.”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #3 · @73:01
“12 when when my friends got hold of a a Playboy magazine which by the way was less risque than what you can see on prime time TV now right I mean it was pretty boring stuff but it was pretty exciting to us except that when they got”
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #4 · @10:09
“existem depois de 24 horas. Risque as preocupações que já se foram. Então faça mais uma coisa. Escreva-as novamente. E leia depois de uma semana.”
- 🇺🇸 USTED-EdClip #5 · @1:29
“drawing audiences from all social classes. At this point, Onna-Kabuki was often risque as geishas performed not only to show off their singing and dancing abilities but also to advertise their bodies to potential clients. as geishas performed not only to show off”
Definition & Meaning: “risque”
- Obsolete spelling of risk.
- Obsolete spelling of risk.
Example Sentences (2)
- “risque or even outrage ious for the young bomber and fighter Crews these artworks offer a break from”
- “There were also risque or anarchic elements that showed up in early film that I want you see.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “risque”
- Pronunciation:
- rih-SKAY
- Syllables:
- rih · SKAY
- Written Hyphenation:
- ris · que
- Primary stress:
- SKAY
- IPA:
- rɪˈskeɪ
- Hear it in context
- risque
Words that Rhyme with “risque”
-eɪWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"risque" (⁄rɪˈskeɪ⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "risque" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about risque
How do you pronounce “risque”?
“risque” is pronounced ⁄rɪˈskeɪ⁄ (rih-SKAY). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “risque”?
“risque” has 2 syllables: rih · SKAY.
Where is the stress in “risque”?
The primary stress in “risque” is on “SKAY”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “risque” mean?
Obsolete spelling of risk.
How can I hear “risque” used in real sentences?
This page has 55 real-world video examples of “risque” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “risque”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).