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I've heard a couple of pronunciations "macra may", "ma craym", "ma craym".

So, which is the correct one?

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Every dictionary I checked gives the same three-syllable pronunciation. Do you have some reason to believe the dictionaries are incorrect? If so, please elaborate; otherwise, this is a general reference question. – Marthaª May 10 '11 at 20:10

3 Answers

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It comes from the French (well, from Turkish through French), and is quite often spelt with an accent on the final e: macramé. Like most such French words ending in -é, it has two standard pronunciations:

  • in the US, a pronunciation closer to the French: -meɪ, which rhymes with May, play, etc; it is stressed on the first and third syllables.
  • in the UK, it is pronounced -mi, with the same i sound as silly; the stress goes on the second syllable.

Other words of French origin with similar ending include résumé, café and sauté.

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In the UK the last vowel is either the same as the US (rhymes with play), or it's the y in silly (rather than the i, which is different :) – psmears May 10 '11 at 21:34
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From Merriam-Webster: \ˈma-krə-ˌmā\

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The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English has two pronunciations:

  • BrE: /məˈkrɑ:mi/
  • AmE: /ˌmækrəˈmeɪ/

As the pronunciation seems to vary from source to source, I’d recommend sticking to what is the closest to French.

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