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Original poster

Is it mocha or mokka?

79 replies

Lazytakeawaymum · 21/12/2023 15:38

Went into M&S today for a mocha and I was told by the lady that served me that it’s mokka? Have I been pronouncing it wrong my whole life? 🤣 I pronounce it mo cha

OP posts:
ConsistentlyElectrifiedElves · 21/12/2023 16:07

Lazytakeawaymum · 21/12/2023 15:43

Hahaha I’m not sure I can get on board with mokka. Feeling very embarrassed

You will need to ask for a cappuccino with chocolate from now on!

LenaLamont · 21/12/2023 16:12

In Italian CH is pronounced as a hard C - Chianti, for example.

The Ch sound from English (eg cheese) is spelled with CI or CE in Italian - like Ciao, or La Dolce Vita.

So yes, it's mokka in pronunciation.

(see also Bruschetta - brus-kett-a)

bungletru · 21/12/2023 16:19

Yeah it’s “mokka” 🤣
but don’t worry I’ve been say carafe wrong my whole life too “carra fay” 🤣🤣♥️

idontlikealdi · 21/12/2023 16:32

I would have assumed you meant matcha.

Mochudubh · 21/12/2023 16:35

i have a friend who pronounces cafetiere "caffateerie". I'm about 95% sure she does it as a joke but she's easily offended so I just go along with it (I just refer to the "pot" in her presence).

differentfeather · 21/12/2023 16:36

sounds like a matter of personal preference to me!

LoobyDop · 21/12/2023 16:50

I love Italian pronunciation. I decided today I will follow Nigella’s lead, and from now on will be calling quiche kwee-kay. I also have a very fond memory of my lovely Italian teacher saying, when I asked her how to pronounce n’duja, “you can say it however you want, my lovely, it’s not an Italian word”. (I think she might be wrong about that, but she was from Milan, and I think they’re a bit snobby about the South 😂)

Sealover123 · 21/12/2023 16:51

I'm Canadian and pronounce it moe-ka

thesugarbumfairy · 21/12/2023 16:53

Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya...

LauderSyme · 21/12/2023 17:06

Sorry, derailing here, but this talk of Italian (mis)pronunciation has reminded me of one of dm's favourite TV shows Montalbano, which she calls Monty Blarno.

The famous Irish-Italian detective!

Mirrormeback · 22/12/2023 02:00

Oh so you were saying

Mm - otch - ah

Yes it's definitely Mock - ah

Who on earth taught you to say it the wrong way

Mind you I was saying

Lar - Tay instead of Latt - ay

flowerchild2000 · 22/12/2023 02:03

I say it moe-cuh. You pronounced the cha? Honestly that's really cute! My DD does it too and I don't correct her ☺️

flowerchild2000 · 22/12/2023 02:09

LoobyDop · 21/12/2023 16:50

I love Italian pronunciation. I decided today I will follow Nigella’s lead, and from now on will be calling quiche kwee-kay. I also have a very fond memory of my lovely Italian teacher saying, when I asked her how to pronounce n’duja, “you can say it however you want, my lovely, it’s not an Italian word”. (I think she might be wrong about that, but she was from Milan, and I think they’re a bit snobby about the South 😂)

The food itself is probably rooted in Spain but the word French!

Is it mocha or mokka?
Mirrormeback · 22/12/2023 03:35

flowerchild2000 · 22/12/2023 02:03

I say it moe-cuh. You pronounced the cha? Honestly that's really cute! My DD does it too and I don't correct her ☺️

Well you really should be correcting your DD so she doesn't grow up with people thinking she's an idiot

flowerchild2000 · 22/12/2023 03:57

Mirrormeback · 22/12/2023 03:35

Well you really should be correcting your DD so she doesn't grow up with people thinking she's an idiot

Show quote history

🖕

grumpypedestrian · 22/12/2023 04:34

“Are you mocking my mokka?”

Couldn’t resist.

KickHimInTheCrotch · 22/12/2023 04:48

My DD (13) and her friends watch a lot of YouTube so americanise all their European words and would definitely say Moe-ca, lar-tay etc. I correct her occasionally but I'm not the best at languages myself and she is understood perfectly well in her world (pretentious teenage girls). The one that grates most is her saying cross-aant for croissant.

LoobyDop · 22/12/2023 08:00

flowerchild2000 · 22/12/2023 02:09

The food itself is probably rooted in Spain but the word French!

Show quote history

In that case, Amadea, mi dispiace.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 22/12/2023 08:24

LoobyDop · 21/12/2023 16:05

On the same theme, it is lat-ay or lar-tay? I say the former (Italian word, so surely it’s not lar-tay? but I hear it pronounced like that a lot) I’m not sure which is correct!

It’s latt-ay with the same short vowel sound as “cat” but people try and reproduce the emphasis Italian puts on it and the closest they can get is to turn it into “lar”.

In Australia I heard LARtay just about everywhere.

NoKateMoss · 22/12/2023 08:35

I'm Scottish so roll my R's which obviously lots of people don't but when people are saying they hear lar-tay? surely people don't put an R in there?!

Threelittlemaids · 22/12/2023 08:36

Pronunciation advice from Ricky Martin ‘Skin the colour of mocha’

welcometothnuthouse · 22/12/2023 08:41

I would have been been slightly irritated that my speech was being corrected tbh. Why query it? If you understand what someone means that should be enough.

zingally · 22/12/2023 09:03

In the UK it's Mock-a. But in the US, where I go a lot, they say Mow-ka.

Definately not Mow-cha. ;)

AdaProgrammer · 22/12/2023 09:06

A question for the Italian purists on the thread. So many places in the U.K. treat "panini" as if it is a singular word. Do you grit your teeth and ask for "a panini, please"?

Jifmicroliquid · 22/12/2023 09:08

It’s ok, my dad called it a Mosher in a cafe once. I told him he had essentially ordered a watered down goth.