A quick Google search for the term “sốt cà chua” yields over 11 million results, while the phrase “xốt cà chua” only returns about 2 million results. These numbers might lead you to believe that “xốt” is completely wrong, but that’s not the case. Let’s explore the reason behind this phenomenon.
1 The Origin of Two Different Spellings
The existence of two spellings can be attributed to the cultural interplay between French and American influences. Many Vietnamese words, such as “xúc xích” (sausage), are derived from French, and “xốt” is no exception, coming from the French word “sauce.” In French, the letter “s” is pronounced with a soft “x” sound, which explains why we have the word “xốt” in Vietnamese today.
However, the emergence of the word “sốt” likely stems from subsequent American cultural influences. The pronunciation of “sauce” in American English has a stronger “s” sound compared to French, leading to the adoption of “sốt” in Vietnamese to reflect this difference.
2 Which Spelling is Correct: “xốt” or “sốt”?
There has been much debate and controversy surrounding these two words, with strong opinions on both sides. Some argue that either spelling is acceptable, while others insist that only one of them is correct.
This dispute is understandable when considering that the term “nước sốt” is prevalent across various news outlets. However, if we refer solely to the Vietnamese dictionary, “sốt” in the culinary context means “still hot,” as in the phrase “cơm nóng, canh sốt.” On the other hand, “xốt” is specifically defined as “nước xốt” in the dictionary.
Based on this information, it is clear that attributing the dual spellings solely to different pronunciations of the same foreign word is inaccurate. It is important to remember that our Vietnamese alphabet was created by Alexandre de Rhodes, a Frenchman. Therefore, most of the phonetic spellings we use today originate from French pronunciations. As a result, “nước xốt” was the original term, recognized by the Vietnamese dictionary, and thus, “nước xốt” is the correct spelling.
Some well-known “nước xốt” brands include: , nước xốt cà chua, …
The terms “nước xốt” and “nước sốt” have sparked intense debates online, with many seeking clarification on the correct spelling. Hopefully, this explanation has provided you with the answer you were looking for and helped elucidate similar cases, such as “xúp” or “súp.”
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