word
Italian
Food
al dente
al DEN-tay
æl ˈdɛnteɪListen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
aldente
Sounds like
Say 'al DEN-tay', not 'al DEN-tee'.
Dictionary meaning
Cooked to be firm to the bite — the ideal texture for pasta.
History and origin
Italian — 'to the tooth'.
Examples
- Cook the spaghetti al dente — it will finish in the sauce.
Common mispronunciations
al DEN-teeal den-TAY
People also look up
Learn one new pronunciation a day
Get a word, name or idiom like “al dente” in your inbox — daily or weekly, free. Unsubscribe any time.
Something wrong? Suggest a correction