amateur /ˈæm.ə.tər / – a person who takes part in an activity for pleasure, not as a job

attaché /əˈtæʃ.eɪ/ – a person who works in an embassy and has a particular area of responsibility in which they have specialist knowledge

ballet /ˈbæl.eɪ/ – a type of dancing where carefully organized movements tell a story or express an idea

bidet /ˈbiː.deɪ/ – a small low bath in which a person washes their bottom and sex organs

bijou /ˈbiː.ʒuː/ – small but attractive and fashionable

brassiere /ˈbræz.i.eər / – formal for bra

brunette /bruˈnet/ – a white woman or girl with dark hair

buffet /ˈbʊf.eɪ/ –a meal where people serve themselves different types of usually cold food

bureau /ˈbjʊə.rəʊ/ – an organization or a business that collects or provides information

cabaret /ˈkæb.ə.reɪ/ – a performance of popular music, singing or dancing, especially in a restaurant or bar

café /ˈkæf.eɪ/ – a restaurant where simple and usually quite cheap meals are served

chateau /ˈʃæt.əʊ/ – a large house or castle in France

cliché /ˈkliː.ʃeɪ/ – a comment that is very often made and is therefore not original and not interesting

connoisseur /ˌkɒn.əˈsɜːr / – a person who knows a lot about and enjoys one of the arts, or food, drink, etc. and can judge quality and skill in that subject

coupe /ˈkuː.peɪ/ – a car with a fixed roof, two doors, two or four seats, and usually a sloping back

coupon /ˈkuː.pɒn/ – a piece of paper which can be used to get something without paying for it or at a reduced price

crèche /kreʃ/ – a place where young children are cared for during the day while their parents do something else, especially work, study or shop

debris /ˈdeb.riː/ – broken or torn pieces of something larger

debut /ˈdeɪ.bju/ – when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time

depot /ˈdep.əʊ/ – a building where supplies or vehicles, especially buses, are kept

elite /ɪˈliːt/ - the richest, most powerful, best educated or best trained group in a society

encore /ˈɒŋ.kɔːr / - an extra song or piece of music that is performed at the end of a show because the audience shout for it

etiquette /ˈet.ɪ.ket/ - the set of rules or customs which control accepted behaviour in particular social groups or social situations

expose /ekˈspəʊ.zeɪ/ - a public report of the facts about a situation, especially one that is shocking or has been kept secret

fete / feɪt/ - a public event, often held outside, where you can take part in competitions and buy small things and food, often organized to collect money for a particular purpose

façade /fəˈsɑːd/ - the front of a building, especially a large or attractive building

fiancé /fiˈɑ̃ːn .seɪ/ - the man who a woman is engaged to be married to

foyer /ˈfɔɪ.eɪ/ - a large open area just inside the entrance of a public building such as a theatre or a hotel, where people can wait and meet each other

genre / ˈʒɒ̃rə/ - a style, especially in the arts, that involves a particular set of characteristics

glacier /ˈglæs.i.ər / - a large mass of ice which moves slowly

gourmet /ˈɡʊəmeɪ/ - very high quality

hors d’oeuvre /ˌɔːˈdɜːv/ - a small savoury dish eaten at the start of a meal; small pieces of food eaten at a party

limousine /ˌlɪm.əˈziːn/ - a large expensive car, often driven by a chauffeur (= a person employed to drive a car for someone else)

automobile /ˈɔː.tə.məʊ .biːl/ – a car

lingerie /ˈlæ̃n .ʒər.i/ – women's underwear

massage /ˈmæs.ɑːd ʒ/ - to rub and press someone's body with regular repeated movements, in order to relax them or to reduce stiffness or pain in their joints (= places where two bones are connected) or muscles

menu /ˈmen.juː/ - a list of the food that you can eat in a restaurant

morale /məˈrɑːl/ – the amount of confidence felt by a person or group of people, especially when in a dangerous or difficult situation

parquet /ˈpɑː.keɪ/ – floor covering that consists of small rectangular blocks of wood arranged in a pattern

pate /peɪt/ – the top of a person's head

plateau /ˈplæt.əʊ/ – a large flat area of land that is high above sea level

précis /ˈpreɪ.si/ – a short form of a text which gives only the important parts

premiere /ˈprem.i.eər/ – the first public performance of a play or any other type of entertainment

puree /ˈpjʊə.reɪ/ – a thick smooth sauce made by crushing fruit or vegetables

rapport /ræˈpɔːr/ – a good understanding of someone and an ability to communicate well with them

repertoire /ˈrep.ə.twɑːr/ – all the music or plays, etc. that you can do or perform or that you know

regime /reɪˈʒiːm/ – a particular government or a system or method of government

reservoir /ˈrez.ə.vwɑːr/ – a place for storing liquid, especially a natural or artificial lake providing water for a city or other area

resume v: /rɪˈzjuːm/ – If an activity resumes, or if you resume it, it starts again after a pause

n: /ˈrez.juː.meɪ/ - a short statement of the important details of something (CV)

ricochet /ˈrɪk.ə.ʃeɪ – to hit a surface and come off it fast at a different angle

rouge /ruːʒ/ – a red or pink powder put on the cheeks to make the face look more attractive

sauté /ˈsəʊ.teɪ/ – to cook food in oil or fat over heat, usually until it is brown

soufflé /ˈsuː.fleɪ/ – a light food which has a lot of air in it, is made mainly from eggs, and can be either sweet or savoury

souvenir /ˌsuː.vənˈɪər/ – something you buy or keep to help you remember a holiday or special event

surveillance /səˈveɪ.lənt s/ – the careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army, because of a crime that has happened or is expected

benevolent /bɪˈnev.əl.ənt/ – kind and helpful

feta /ˌfet.ə/ – a white Greek cheese, usually made from sheep's or goat's milk

paella /paɪˈel.ə/ – a Spanish dish consisting of rice mixed with vegetables, fish and chicken

byzantine /bɪˈzæn.taɪn/ – difficult to understand and complicated

caesarean /sɪˌzeə.ri.ən/ - an operation in which a woman's womb is cut open to allow a baby to be born

cafetiere /ˌkæf.əˈtjeər / - a glass container for making coffee, in which hot water is poured onto coffee and then a filter (= net) is pushed down into the container to keep the solids at the bottom

candidature /ˈkæn.dɪ.də.si/ – the fact of being a candidate (= a person competing for a position) in an election

baroque /bəˈrɒk/ – relating to the heavily decorated style in buildings, art and music that was popular in Europe in the 17th century and the early part of the 18th century

art nouveau /ˌɑːt.nuːˈvəʊ/ – a style of art and decoration that uses curling lines and plant and flower shapes

decorative /ˈdek.ər.ə.tɪv/ – made to look attractive

sinuous /ˈsɪn.ju.əs/ – moving in a twisting, curving or indirect way, or having many curves

revive /rɪˈvaɪv/ – to come or bring something back to life, health, existence, or use

publicise /ˈpʌb.lɪ.saɪz/ – to make information about something generally available

schmooze /ʃmuːz/ – to talk informally with someone, especially in a way that is not sincere or to win some advantage for yourself

wince /wɪnt s/ – to show pain suddenly and for a short time in the face, often moving the head back at the same time

awkward /ˈɔː.kwəd/ – difficult to use, do, or deal with

deprecation /ˌdep.rɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/– to not approve of something or say that you do not approve of something

decaffeinated /diːˈkæf.ɪ.neɪ.tɪd/ – describes coffee or tea from which the caffeine (= a chemical substance) has been removed

novice /ˈnɒv.ɪs/ – a person who is not experienced in a job or situation

nuance /ˈnj uː.ɑːnt s/ – a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc

unanimity /ˌjuː.nəˈnɪm.ɪ.ti/ – the state of being unanimous

zucchini /zʊˈkiː.ni/ – US for courgette (/kɔːˈʒet/ a long thin vegetable with a dark green skin. It is a type of small marrow.)

xenophobia /ˌzen.əˈfəʊ.bi.ə/ – extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs, their religions, etc.