How Do You Pronounce Quorn? We're Settling This Once and For All

How do you pronounce Quorn?

Quorn is pronounced "kworn" - rhyming with "worn," "sworn," or "horn." The "qu" is pronounced like the "qu" in "queen" or "quest," giving it that distinctive "kw" sound at the start. In phonetic notation, as listed by the Cambridge Dictionary, it's /ˈkwɔːn/ in British English.

It does not rhyme with "corn." We know - the spelling makes that a very reasonable guess. But "corn" starts with a hard "k" sound alone, while Quorn starts with a "kw." Say "queen" out loud, then swap the "-een" for "-orn." That's it. You've got it.

Why does everyone say it differently?

The confusion is completely understandable, and you shouldn't feel embarrassed if you've been saying "corn" all along. The word looks like it could rhyme with "corn," "horn," or "born" - all perfectly logical inferences from English spelling patterns. The silent-ish "w" in the "qu" combination is the culprit. In everyday speech, the "qu" construction is so closely associated with words like "quiet" and "quote" (where the "w" is more audible) that some people mentally strip it out and default to a straight "k" sound.

Where does the name Quorn actually come from?

The name Quorn comes from a village in Leicestershire, England - originally called Quorndon, which was shortened to Quorn in 1889.

When the Quorn brand launched in the 1980s - with the mycoprotein ingredient discovered in Marlow, Buckinghamshire - the Leicestershire name was the natural choice.

So the next time someone tries to tell you it's pronounced "corn," you can let them know the name comes from a real village in the English Midlands, where the locals have been saying "kworn" for centuries.

Does it matter how you pronounce it?

Honestly? We won't send the pronunciation police to your door. What really matters is enjoying delicious, sustainable food - with many of our products being high in protein and fibre, and low in saturated fat. We’re pretty proud of that.

That said, if you want to say it the way it's meant to be said - the way Leicestershire has said it for centuries, and the way you'll hear it in our own marketing - it's "kworn."

Consider the debate settled.

Want to know more about what Quorn actually is and how it's made? Explore our guide to mycoprotein and the Quorn story.