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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.
Examples of foliage in a Sentence
Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The faux foliage is extra sturdy, with an IP65 waterproof rating that stands up to rain, wind, and even snow.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Experts say factors that impact fall foliage include steady rainfall during spring and summer, and cool nights in the early fall.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Temperatures have finally dropped consistently, giving Ohioans the perfect fall feeling to enjoy the Buckeye State's fall foliage.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foliage
Cite this Entry
“Foliage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foliage. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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