A guide to saying it correctly
How to Pronounce Versailles Palace
Pronounce the famous French palace, not a tourist. Get the stress and sounds right.
versailles palace
ver-SAYZ PAL-uhs
/vɛʁˈseɪz ˈpæləs/ · ver · sayz · pal · uhs
Native US English · Kokoro neural TTS · 0:01
It's a common destination for tourists and frequently appears in travel guides and news reports about France.
Where the word comes from
Versailles comes from the name of the noble family who owned the land, the House of Versailles. The palace itself was built on that estate.
Common ways people get it wrong
- ver-SAILS PAL-iss The 'ai' in Versailles is pronounced like 'ay' in 'say', not 'ail' in 'sail'. The final 's' in Versailles is usually silent in French, but in English, it's often pronounced like 'z'.
- ver-SEYE-ulz PAL-us The second syllable of Versailles has the stress and is pronounced like 'say', not 'seye'. The final syllable of palace is a schwa sound, like the 'uh' in 'sofa'.
Frequently asked
Is it pronounced 'Ver-sales' or 'Ver-sayles'?
In English, it's commonly pronounced 'ver-SAYZ'. The French pronunciation is closer to 'ver-SAI', with a silent final 's'.
How do you say 'Palace' in this context?
The word 'palace' is pronounced like the common English word 'palace', with the stress on the first syllable: PAL-uhs.
What's the most common mistake English speakers make?
The most common mistake is mispronouncing the 'ai' in Versailles, often saying it like 'ail' instead of 'ay'. Also, people sometimes try to make the final 's' silent, but in English usage, it's typically pronounced as a 'z'.
