How to pronounce ‘Rao’

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In Italy Rao is pronounced almost the like the Indian surname - Row-wah. It has been distorted in the U.S.

OK, fun fact and all, but I'm betting the OP wanted to know how to pronounce it in the US

Fun observation, most of us not over invested with this brand pronounce it as Italians do, but more harshly as our accent contains zero subtlety.

Umm, the OP’s question was about the brand/restaurant. How you and other non-overinvested (?) speakers of Italian would pronounce a word is not only irrelevant but also, in this case, dead wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In Italy Rao is pronounced almost the like the Indian surname - Row-wah. It has been distorted in the U.S.

OK, fun fact and all, but I'm betting the OP wanted to know how to pronounce it in the US

Fun observation, most of us not over invested with this brand pronounce it as Italians do, but more harshly as our accent contains zero subtlety.

Umm, the OP’s question was about the brand/restaurant. How you and other non-overinvested (?) speakers of Italian would pronounce a word is not only irrelevant but also, in this case, dead wrong.

You are stuck in a weird mind loop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I’m surprised I always pronounce it to rhyme with Chow. Italian-American but I speak Italian.

I don’t understand buying jarred sauce- takes the same amount of time to make a decent homemade version and tastes so much better! And cheaper too.

I don’t get when people say this. Yes it is easy and yes it is cheap(er) than jarred (I use san marzano canned tomatoes so isn’t *that* much cheaper than a jar of rao’s on sale), but opening a jar is 2 seconds of time and sometimes you just want that, especially if I am already doing “work” to make a dish like lasagna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In Italy Rao is pronounced almost the like the Indian surname - Row-wah. It has been distorted in the U.S.

OK, fun fact and all, but I'm betting the OP wanted to know how to pronounce it in the US

Fun observation, most of us not over invested with this brand pronounce it as Italians do, but more harshly as our accent contains zero subtlety.

Umm, the OP’s question was about the brand/restaurant. How you and other non-overinvested (?) speakers of Italian would pronounce a word is not only irrelevant but also, in this case, dead wrong.

It is absolutely pronounce RRRRRow-a in Italy. I am not going to pronounce my "CC" surname incorrectly because some of my relatives have chosen to do so - for example, Lu-CHES -I instead of Lukayzi for Lucchesi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe it’s pronounced Ray-o.

Correct. That's how the sauce is pronounced.

Rao that rhymes with "chow" is a South Indian surname.

💯

[Anonymous]

I thought Rao was made by an Indian because I know a couple of Indians with that last name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In Italy Rao is pronounced almost the like the Indian surname - Row-wah. It has been distorted in the U.S.

OK, fun fact and all, but I'm betting the OP wanted to know how to pronounce it in the US

Fun observation, most of us not over invested with this brand pronounce it as Italians do, but more harshly as our accent contains zero subtlety.

Umm, the OP’s question was about the brand/restaurant. How you and other non-overinvested (?) speakers of Italian would pronounce a word is not only irrelevant but also, in this case, dead wrong.

It is absolutely pronounce RRRRRow-a in Italy. I am not going to pronounce my "CC" surname incorrectly because some of my relatives have chosen to do so - for example, Lu-CHES -I instead of Lukayzi for Lucchesi.

No one cares. It’s a specific place, owned by a specific family. It’s also one of the most well known restaurants in the country. Feel free to continue to sound like a dumbass.

You’re like the NYU kid who just learned to pronounce Houston but weirdly insists on sticking to your guns because you’re an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In Italy Rao is pronounced almost the like the Indian surname - Row-wah. It has been distorted in the U.S.

OK, fun fact and all, but I'm betting the OP wanted to know how to pronounce it in the US

Fun observation, most of us not over invested with this brand pronounce it as Italians do, but more harshly as our accent contains zero subtlety.

Umm, the OP’s question was about the brand/restaurant. How you and other non-overinvested (?) speakers of Italian would pronounce a word is not only irrelevant but also, in this case, dead wrong.

It is absolutely pronounce RRRRRow-a in Italy. I am not going to pronounce my "CC" surname incorrectly because some of my relatives have chosen to do so - for example, Lu-CHES -I instead of Lukayzi for Lucchesi.

No one cares. It’s a specific place, owned by a specific family. It’s also one of the most well known restaurants in the country. Feel free to continue to sound like a dumbass.

You’re like the NYU kid who just learned to pronounce Houston but weirdly insists on sticking to your guns because you’re an idiot.

No one cares about the brand identity here. No one thinks of this as anything special. It’s an overpriced jar of sauce option. It tastes fine, but I’d not say the restaurant bit is well known around DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I’m surprised I always pronounce it to rhyme with Chow. Italian-American but I speak Italian.

I don’t understand buying jarred sauce- takes the same amount of time to make a decent homemade version and tastes so much better! And cheaper too.

There is always someone who comes here and says this. MY homemade sauce does not taste better TO ME than Rao's does. YOURS tastes better TO YOU. And MAYBE yours would taste better to ME, but maybe it wouldn't, and that is irrelevant because you aren't offering to make it for me.

As for your claim that it takes the same amount of time, come ON! Really? "It's easy!" or "It only takes 10 minutes!" Fine. But the same amount of time? I can't even open the can of tomatoes with a can opener as fast as I can twist the lid off the jar of sauce, let alone season it, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Rao was made by an Indian because I know a couple of Indians with that last name.

+1

Yes. I thought this was yet another thing that got outsourced because they were delivering a good quality product at reasonable price

...and I was very sure that the secret ingredient was curry leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so surprised. I am Italian and in Italy the last name Rao would be pronounced Rao rhyming with chow. Very often Italian last names pronunciation is completely mutated in Italian American families immigrated generations ago

RAO - A South Indian surname pronounced Raow (rhymes with Chow) by Indians

RAO - An Italian Surname pronounced Raow (rhymes with Chaow) by Italians

RAO - An Italian restaurant in NY and maker of jarred sauces, called Ray-Os by Americans because free-dumb!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow I’m surprised I always pronounce it to rhyme with Chow. Italian-American but I speak Italian.

I don’t understand buying jarred sauce- takes the same amount of time to make a decent homemade version and tastes so much better! And cheaper too.

This. I am also Italian-American and my sauce blows Ray-os out of the water. It takes me less than 10 minutes to make with a few simple ingredients.

Would love to have your recipe.

I have a marinara recipe I've used for years, but it simmers for an hour. It's a fave of my kids.