How do you pronounce foliage?: Usage Guide
The disyllabic pronunciation \ˈfō-lij\ is very common. Some commentators insist that foliage requires a trisyllabic pronunciation because of its spelling, but words of a similar pattern such as carriage and marriage do not fall under their prescription. The pronunciation \ˈfȯi-lij\ is disapproved because it suggests the transposition of the l and i in the spelling. It is not as common as \ˈfō-lij\ and may be associated with the nonstandard spelling foilage.
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How Do You Pronounce foliage?
Whether you’re a casual leaf peeper or a card-carrying botanist, a staunch New Englander or Caribbean beach bum, there’s plenty to love about foliage—though the pronunciation of foliage has long been a point of contention among English speakers. Most commonly accepted is the trisyllabic \FOH-lee-ij\. However, there’s no denying that the pronunciations \FOH-lij\ and even \FOY-lij\ have also staked their claim. The first of these disputed pronunciations is consistent with the pronunciation of the -iage ending in marriage and carriage. The second is often more fiercely denounced, in part because of its association with the nonstandard spelling foilage. But there’s redemption for this estranged pronunciation: foliage traces back to Middle French foille ("leaf"), which is also the source of the English word foil (as in "aluminum foil"). When adopted by Middle English speakers, foil originally meant "leaf." Love it or leaf it, there’s just no taking the "foil" out of foliage.
Synonyms
Examples of foliage in a Sentence
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Every year, thousands flock to the Catskills, New York to bask in the beauty of the fall foliage.
—Anna Haines, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
There are few things more scenic than an array of fall foliage reflecting off the smooth surface of a lake, viewed from a canoe quietly traversing the waters.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024
The months of October through May are cooler but the upsides are fewer crowds, autumn foliage, and spring wildflowers.
—Alison Osius, Outside Online, 1 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Foliage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foliage. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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