Over the years as we've moved around from state to state, we've noticed that regional dialects lead people to say the word cauliflower in all different ways. It's not something you really think about until you hear someone say it differently than you! Take our survey below and share how you pronounce this fresh garden treat!
We grew up pronouncing the word Caul-La-Flower and it still catches us off guard when we hear it otherwise. Last night while folding laundry we caught a little bit of Iron Chef, Battle Cauliflower and while it made for a little light entertainment to make the chore seem less mundane, the chefs in attendance pronounced things Caul-Lee-Flower. At some point it almost become comical to hear it said so many times in a row and it got us thinking, how do you say it? Is it a family pronunciation? A local thing? We're curious to hear your results!
Just in case you've got a hankering for some Cauliflower (no matter how you pronounce it), check out a few of the great recipe ideas below!
• Five Ways to Eat: Cauliflower
• Basic Technique: How to Cut Cauliflower
• Recipe: Cauliflower Purée
• Recipe Roundup: Roasted Cauliflower
(Image: Flickr member Muffet licensed for use by Creative Commons)
Magic One-Ingredient Ice Cream 5 Ways: Peanut Butter, Nutella, and More
Make Chocolate Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping with Only 2 Ingredients
Our reading list
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
30 DIY Projects for the 3-Day Weekend
Tina Wilson's Striking Style 
Comments (34)
none of the above. "shoe-fluer." ok, not really. only when I used to work in a french restaurant.
must be a slow day at the Kitchen in the idea department
cully-flour
Wait, how are "Caul-LA-flower" and "Caul-LUH-flower" any different? Would someone actually say a long a when presented with the "i" in cauliflower?
None of the above, really. I pronounce it "collie-flower"...
Me too, "collie-flower". There's really another way?
With a survey like that I expected a regional breakdown of pronunciations when I clicked on the post. Disappointed there was none.
Yeah, caul-la-flower and caul-luh-flower are pretty much the same. You didn't include caul-ih-flower, which is how I say it.
CAUL-ih-flower. Call. If. Flower.
I say it the same way as GreenCayennes.
Erm... Collie-flower
Collie-flower here too :)
@bowenthebeard, depending on where you're from, you might say "la" and "luh" differently. "luh" uses the schwa sound here (like the end of "sofa" and "la" uses the "a" sound like in "ah ha".
I say it "caul-uh-flower", no middle accent.
Like GreenCayennes, with the short I sound.
Yes to everyone who said "caul - ih - flower." Y'know, since the letter in question is actually an "i."
yup, same as GreenCayennes.
cavolfiore :)
I shocked how many people mispronounce it:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cauliflower
And a huge thanks to Mid-C Frank. I just logged in to post the same thing.
Gotta say, it really bugs me when people say collie-flower. It sounds like baby talk. Blech
Whenever I hear a chef on the Food Network use "collie flower", I cringe. I'm glad Merriam-Webster agrees. Does pronunciation vary by region? I'm from the midwest (Michigan originally and now Chicago) and most people here pronounce it "caul LUH flower" (or possibly "caul LAH flower", but definitely no long e sound).
Um, am I mistaken, or does Merriam's show two possible pronunciations?
@ brooklynnina, et al: coll i flower. less ee more ih for me but that's far and away closer than the listed options :D
@mid-c frank - sorry but, "I shocked . . ." ;)
Patrick: I totally see two possible pronunciations too.
I interchange between collie-flower and caul-ih-flower.
Yes, it should have read "I am shocked . . ." -- shocking!
First pronunciation given is usually "preferred".
But to turn this down another tangent -- a new restaurant up by Columbia Univ., Vareli's, serves fried cauliflower with tahini sauce -- delicious beyond belief!
It's always been call-ih-flower for me.
Coliflor
;)
but if I have to pronounce it in english I'd say
collie-flower too...
Bobby Flay is my favorite chef and I cannot STAND how he says "caul-LEE-flower" all the time!!
CALL-i-flour
Call IF flower.
According to Mirriam-Webster, to clear up confusion, it looks like people either pronounce the middle "i" as "ee" or "ay". Dictionary.com suggests that you can also use a schwa (the sort of "uh" or sometimes the "ih" people refer to).
Other variations include saying "kawl" or "kahl", i.e. whether or not you use a diphthong.
For the record, I just discovered "pasta al cavolfiore". Try it. You won't regret it.
Um, thanks for clearing up the confusion. ;)
What? No IPA?
I'm livin' in France, we call it "choufleur".
Epicurious has a excellent "roasted curry cauliflower" recipe. It's a keeper!
Um, none of those. The stress is on the first syllable, and I don't pronounce it "call", but "coll". So, COLL-ee-flau-a.
Maybe Americans put the stress in the wrong place in the same way that they pronounce advertisement differently. I hear Americans say "AD-ver-tise-ment", when it should be said "ad-VERT-iss-ment". :)