How do you say açaí?

Açaí trips up almost everyone the first time they see it written down. Most people meet the word on a menu long before they hear it said. Here is how to say it, what the marks mean, and why you will see it spelled several ways.

How do you pronounce açaí?

Say ah-sah-EE. It has three syllables, and the stress falls on the last one. Both a's are open, as in "father", and the final "ee" gets a beat of its own. Some dictionaries also allow ah-sigh-EE, which still has three beats.

Common slips are "a-KAI" (to rhyme with "a guy"), "AH-kai" and "ah-SIGH". Each one squeezes the last two syllables into one. Keep the "ee" separate at the end and you have it.

Why is there a ç in açaí?

The ç is a c with a cedilla. In Portuguese it tells you to say the c as an "s", so "aça" sounds like "ah-sah". Without the cedilla, a c before an a is a hard "k", which is where "a-KAI" comes from.

What does the accent on the í do?

The accent marks the stressed syllable, and it keeps the i as a syllable of its own. That is why açaí has three beats, ah-sah-EE, and not two, as in "ah-SIGH".

Is it acai, açaí or assaí?

All three are the same fruit.

Açaí is the Portuguese spelling, and the one on our packs.
Acai, without the marks, is the usual English spelling on menus and in grocery stores, mostly because few keyboards have a ç.
Assaí is an older Brazilian spelling that you still see now and then. The double s does the job of the ç.

If you have typed acia, acay, acaí or "acai berry" into a search bar, you are in good company. None of the spellings look much like the way the word sounds.

Where does the word açaí come from?

Açaí came into Portuguese from Tupi, an Indigenous language of Brazil. It names the fruit of the açaí palm, Euterpe oleracea, which grows across the Brazilian Amazon. There the fruit is an everyday food, and our açaí sorbets are made in the Brazilian Amazon too.

How do you type açaí?

On a phone, hold down the c key to find ç, and the i key to find í. On a Mac, press Option-C for ç, then Option-E followed by i for í. Anywhere else, write acai: everyone will know what you mean.

How do you say the rest of our fruit?

Cupuaçu: koo-poo-ah-SOO. Same cedilla, same "s" sound.
Acerola: ass-uh-ROH-luh.
Pitaya, or dragon fruit: pih-TY-uh.

What does açaí taste like?

Deep and earthy, like dark berries with a hint of cocoa, and barely sweet on its own. Our açaí taste guide goes further, and compares our four açaí sorbets. Not sure where to start? Find your flavor in three choices.

Austropical açaí and tropical fruit sorbets are planned for US retail from March 2027, starting with Organic Açaí Original Sensation and Organic Mango in pints and Grab'n Go cups. The other eight flavors follow.

Photo: açaí soft serve at our Sydney café. Serving suggestion; toppings are not included. Product of Brazil.

All posts Find your flavor