Crochet pronunciation catches a lot of people off guard because the word does not sound the way it is spelled, thanks to a silent final T borrowed straight from French. It is commonly mispronounced as cro-shett. This guide gives you the direct pronunciation, breaks down the French origin behind it, and clears up a few related words that get mixed up along the way.
Direct Answer
Crochet is pronounced kroh-SHAY, with the stress on the second syllable and a completely silent final T. The word rhymes with away rather than anything containing a hard T sound at the end.
Where the Pronunciation Comes From
The silent T follows standard French pronunciation rules, since crochet is a French word meaning small hook that English borrowed directly rather than translating. French regularly drops a final T in speech, which is the same pattern you hear in words like ballet and buffet.
Crochet is often confused with tatting in casual conversation, since both are hooked or looped needlework techniques, but tatting uses a small shuttle rather than a hook and has a completely different pronunciation with no silent letters. Knitting, the other close relative, is pronounced exactly as it looks, with no French influence at all.
Frequently asked questions
What language does the word crochet come from?
Crochet comes from French, where it translates to small hook. The pronunciation, including the silent final T, follows standard French rules rather than English ones, which is why it sounds so different from how it is spelled.
Is crocheted or crochet correct as the past tense?
Crocheted is the correct past tense form, pronounced kroh-SHADE, keeping the same silent pattern as the base word. Crochet alone stays in the present tense or works as a noun.
Is it pronounced differently in the UK versus the US?
No, kroh-SHAY is standard in both US and UK English, with no regional variation in the core pronunciation. Regional accents may shift the vowel sounds slightly, but the silent T and second-syllable stress stay the same everywhere the word is used.
Curious about the word’s history too?
See how crochet developed as a craft alongside its French name.
