How do you pronounce 'voile' as in voile panels?

[Peabody]

Is it in a French accent - vwahl? Or is there some more esoteric pronunication? I don't want to like an idiot in the shop.

Also, how do I hang them? Do you need two curtain rails?

I am trying to avoid nets but need something to preserve privacy and am thinking that voile panels may be the answer.

I think they are pronounced vwahl, the French way - if not then I've been making a fool of myself for a while (wouldn't be the first time though )

Not sure about how to hang them though - my guess is either curtain wire at the top or bottom, or a rail at the top and with the panels just weighted down at the bottom. They should be able to tell you in the shop though!

I've always pronounced it the same as STS says.

But my friend who is a professional curtain maker pronounces it as though it rhymes with 'foil' - voil.

v-waa-l

it is a french word and should be pronounced as such...NOT v-oil

I would pronounce it as thelunar says voil.

Thanks for all the replies, although I wish there was a consensus!

I think I will go for the French pronunciation and try and explain it away as the influence of my languages degree if I am wrong.

Could you not have opaque film put on your windows instead? This is very popular in the Netherlands and in Belgium, and is gaining popularity in France.

I would instinctively say vwahl, but I have noticed n shops it generally gets called voil.

Say "vwahl" with stylish gusto and a bite of your croissant/drag on your gitane and it will be fine.

It is a French word, but in English it's pronounced Voil. Sorry to all you Vwahls-ers!

I agree with seeker, I think you'll find most curtain shops/seamstresses etc will pronounce "voile" to rhyme with "foil".

Yes, it's a French word but no different to the accepted English pronunciation of Paris being "Pa-ris" and not "Pa-ree".

To rhyme with foil, if you are using the word in the uk.

In fact, in my area,it would be pronounced "voy-ul"

i thnk you can get sticky opaque film for windows in ikea.

It's quite hard to put the film on yourself, I think. Certainly I see companies doing it round here.

Another alternative is to have slightly opaque glass panels screwed in front of the windows, to make a sort of second layer.

Dictionary says vɔɪl which is voil to rhyme with foil.

The phoneme /ɔɪ/ is said oi as in loin.

Ach can't c&p phoneme characters apparently. It's the backwards c with an i without a dot.

lol at remy... you sound like you live in my neck of the woods (Lancashire)

Aye

V-W-A-A-L - I'll go along the lines of MarineIguana (brilliantly put!).