NATION
How to pronounce
Ivory Coast
AHY·vuh·reeKOHST
Native [kot divwaʁ] → American /ˈaɪ.vər.i koʊst/
Sound by sound
4 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- AHY a long i, like eye — say this beat loudest
- vuh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- ree the ‘ee’ in see
- KOHST the ‘oh’ in go — say this beat loudest
Talking about Ivory Coast
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- an Ivorian
- The people / the team
- Ivorians (the team: <em>Les Éléphants</em>, the Elephants)
- As an adjective
- Ivorian
- The language
- French
The nationality word is Ivorian (ahy-VOR-ee-uhn) — not “Ivory Coastian”. The official language is French, and the team is nicknamed Les Éléphants.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- AHY-vree KOHST (swallowing the middle)
- ih-VOR-ee KOHST
- koht dee-VWAR (mixing the French name in)
- AHY·vuh·ree KOHST — stress on AHY and KOHST
Where the name comes from
Ivory Coast is a plain translation of the country’s official French name, Côte d’Ivoire — “coast of ivory”. Portuguese and other European traders in the 15th–16th centuries labeled stretches of the West African shore by what they bought there: this one was the ivory coast, neighboring a Gold Coast (Ghana), a Grain Coast, and a Slave Coast. The elephant-ivory trade gave it the name.
- Capital
- Yamoussoukro (Abidjan is the largest city)
- Confederation
- CAF
- World Cups
- 4th (2006, 2010, 2014, 2026)
Hear it for real
Say it out loud — and check it.
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Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast is pronounced AHY·vuh·ree KOHST in American English — 4 beats, stressing AHY and KOHST.
Where does the name Coast come from?
Ivory Coast is a plain translation of the country’s official French name, <em>Côte d’Ivoire</em> — “coast of ivory”. Portuguese and other European traders in the 15th–16th centuries labeled stretches of the West African shore by what they bought there: this one was the ivory coast, neighboring a Gold Coast (Ghana), a Grain Coast, and a Slave Coast. The elephant-ivory trade gave it the name.
Is it “Ivory Coast” or “Côte d’Ivoire”?
They’re the same country. <em>Côte d’Ivoire</em> (koht dee-VWAR) is the official French name, and since 1986 the government has asked that it not be translated for official use. In everyday American English, though, “Ivory Coast” — AHY-vuh-ree KOHST — is still common and perfectly understood.